In case you have been seeing netizens use the term 'Idan' and you don't understand it, just follow the Mmesoma Ejikeme and her Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) result saga. The 19-year-old is the real Idan. She possesses the in-born drive and street credibility to succeed in Nigeria. She was made in Nigeria, groomed in Nigeria, and is prepared for Nigeria. In specific terms, she is a true product of the country.
As Nigeria has made a reputation out of rewarding bad behaviour handsomely and entertaining questionable success stories; people like Mmesoma will be like trees planted by the riverside. After scoring 249, she wasn't satisfied with the outcome just like the average Nigerian politician. She decided to cheat her way out. She found an app on the Google Play store and used it to inflate her score to 362. That's a typical INEC signature move.
It should be noted that the original highest scorer named Nkechiyere Umeh had 360. If Mmesoma had settled for 300, she could have slipped under the radar. But she wanted to be the best not by hard work but by crook. She printed the result and took it to her parents to celebrate as every child would do. The deceit needed to start from home - the grassroots and she did just that. From there, the news would have spread organically to her neighbours, friends, schoolmates, marketplaces, and the rest.
Her parents who appear to be from the lower economic class must have happily concluded it was a confirmation that they would be reaping the fruits of their labour in abundance in the coming years. This is the prayer of average Nigerian parents. Her feat would later attract a N3 million scholarship from the business mogul, Chukwuma Innoson - the CEO of Nigeria's vehicle manufacturing company, Innoson Motors. The photo-ops with Innoson's team were released to the media with a flowery press statement. Only if the entrepreneur knew he was being conned. Mmesoma spared nobody in the deceit including herself. Success and overnight stardom were so sweet that it was difficult for her to wake up from her slumber and face reality. Isn't this similar to the mindset of politicians who openly rig elections, shed blood and confidently share testimonies on the pulpit of big churches?
Then JAMB came to burst her bubble. Mmesoma wasn't ready to give up easily, so she prepared for a fight. She was ready to drag JAMB around the court of public opinion when most Nigerians easily secure victories by playing the victim. She made a highly emotional video explaining she was being victimized and frustrated. She was smart enough to play the mental health card by claiming she was 'traumatized'. This card works!
She was very articulate, civil, and calm as she concisely made her defense. Just like most Nigerians/politicians embellish their resumes during electioneering campaigns, Mmesoma did the exact same thing. She claimed she had always come 'first' all through her educational journey. This was all she needed to say and the attendees of the court of public opinion were swayed.
Since our institutions are largely flawed and shamefully ineffectual, coupled with the problem of tribalism, people accused JAMB of trying to destroy her career. JAMB banned her for three years and this move attracted more public sympathy for the underdog.
Mmesoma valiantly went to Channels TV - a TV station with arguably the biggest coverage in Nigeria to defend her falsified result. Even when the Department of State Security, DSS, invited her for questioning, she dealt with the investigators expertly. She was unstoppable. As JAMB released the series of evidence of her digital imprints to expose her, the teenager matched them evenly with more evidence. Mmesoma exemplifies the age-long rot in Nigerian society. The only problem here is that she learns too fast.
There is a relationship between leadership and followership in human society. Leaders are pace-setters. Their actions and inactions influence their followers who con
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