Chief Innocent Chukwuma, the billionaire industrialist from Anambra and Founder of Innoson Motors, has disclosed his plan regarding the university scholarship he granted to Miss Mmesoma Ejikeme, a 16-year-old girl who was initially recognized as the highest scorer in the 2023 Unified Matriculation Tertiary Examination (UMTE), only to later discover that her results were fraudulent.
Mmesoma gained considerable attention recently when her UTME score of 362 became widely known as the top score in the 2023 UTME examination. This achievement garnered praise and admiration from numerous individuals, including Chief Chukwuma, who promptly awarded her a 3 million naira scholarship for university education. The funds were immediately transferred to a designated account.
However, on Sunday, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), responsible for conducting the UTME, declared Mmesoma's 362 UTME score as counterfeit. They revealed that her score had been manually inflated and her actual score was 249. JAMB also announced the withdrawal of Mmesoma's UTME score.
In response to this development, Chief Chukwuma expressed his deep disappointment, highlighting that he was initially thrilled upon learning that a student from a public school achieved the highest score in the JAMB examination. He personally verified the information with the school principal, who confirmed the girl's exceptional performance.
Chief Chukwuma explained, "I believed that such a brilliant girl, if provided with the right education, could benefit our country and the world at large. Thus, I decided to award her a scholarship to ensure nothing hindered her from obtaining a university education." He deposited ₦3,000,000 into a dedicated bank account and instructed the principal to notify him whenever the funds were needed for school fees, ensuring the money was solely used for Mmesoma's education and couldn't be diverted elsewhere by her parents or anyone else.
Regarding his next steps concerning the scholarship, the Innoson Boss stated that he would establish an investigative team to determine whether someone else manipulated and inflated Mmesoma's result without her knowledge or if she deliberately falsified her score to deceive others about her academic abilities.
Chief Chukwuma remarked, "The young girl appeared so innocent to me that I find it hard to believe she could manipulate her score. If I discover that she intentionally faked her result, I will revoke the scholarship, as I cannot support a criminal. Such an individual would not contribute positively to society."
However, if it is found that Mmesoma had no involvement in the manipulation and that her score was a result of error or someone else's actions without her consent, Chief Chukwuma confirmed he would not cancel the scholarship. He expressed his intention to investigate the matter thoroughly to ascertain the truth.
"I had no prior knowledge of the girl. I heard she is from Enugu State but studied in a public school in Anambra State. My aim is to support her in realising her educational potential and becoming an asset to our nation. Additionally, I hope to inspire other young individuals to take their education seriously," Chief Chukwuma concluded.
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