Opinion
By Val Obienyem
I was one of those that preached restraint against Mmesoma. At the January of the controversy, I said it was too early to condemn her until it was proved that she really tempered with her results directly. My belief, informed by her age and exposure, suggests her innocence and unlikelihood to directly engage in the act. I made it clear that if at last, she was found guilty, that I would be at the forefront of those condemning her.Going by the nature of public institutions in Nigeria such as we recently saw them in action through INEC, I did not even believe JAMB’s explanations. However, today it is clear that Mmesoma actually tampered with her results as the panel of inquiry set up by the State government submitted in their report. I had to call a member of the panel who was my lecturer at LASU (in the nineties) and later at UNIZIK, Prof. Maduabuchi Dukor. The Prof. went behind the scene to tell me their experiences and how every member of the Panel scratched his/her head in perplexity over the reflexes of Mmesoma. I therefore join in condemning Mmesoma, while appealing for clemency on her behalf to JAMB. She is a wayward soul that needs to be rescued and properly guided. That such a young girl should engage in the dastardly act mirrors the decay in our society. What could possibly have inspired her? Every day we hear and read about forging of results by political actors. Even the INEC-selected President unarguably contributed to the rust in our country from the gamut of his entire life that is defined by manipulation, from his name, educational qualification, and origin to the worst manipulation in the history of electioneering that threw him up.So, what else do we say? Our problem is fundamental and until the old cargoes among us stop their unedifying examples to their children, things will likely continue to go wrong.
A.
Tags: JAMB Val Obienyem
