Abia: A controversy erupts over a businessman’s diploma result, as the SAN and a rights group write polygraphs

By Adeleye Kunle

The National Diploma statement of result issued to a student/businessman, Chief Okafor Gregory Okwuchukwu, by Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, has sparked controversy.

This comes one month after the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, revoked the polytechnic’s accreditation due to non-payment of over 30 months’ salary arrears owed workers, an action the state House of Assembly is investigating.

Okafor Gregory Okwuchukwu, a businessman from Aba, was admitted to the Department of Business Administration and Management for the 2018/2019 academic year with the registration number 2018NDE/O4397/BA.

Okafor will graduate from the polytechnic in August 2020 with a National Diploma (ND) in Business Administration and Management at the lower level, CPGA 2.99.

Meanwhile, according to Sunday Vanguard, the ND award is causing controversy because Chief Okey Amechi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, has written the polytechnic seeking clarification on the ND.

Under the Freedom of Information Act, a human rights organization, the Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy, has also written to the polytechnic’s Rector, Prof. Kalu Okorie Osonwa, requesting clarification on the ND awarded to Okafor.

The CRPA stated that in dealing with the application, the Rector should be guided by the need to protect the sanctity of Abia State Polytechnic’s academic certificates.

Collins Opurozor, an activist, accused the polytechnic of certificate racketeering in a petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, and asked the commission to investigate the ND, determine if due process was followed in the award, and punish officials of the institution if found culpable.

The polytechnic, on the other hand, has denied wrongdoing, stating that it followed due process and standard practice in awarding the ND to the student.

Amechi disputed the ND award, claiming that what appeared to cast doubt on the ND was the Aba Sports Club 1926 election, in which the minimum qualification for a member to contest for the presidency was ND. The SAN claimed that Okafor lacked the necessary qualifications when he expressed interest in the presidency of the club in the December 1, 2021 election. He claimed that the businessman recognized his academic shortcomings and enrolled in a Business Administration and Management programme at Abia Polytechnic during the 2018/2019 academic session.

“Surprisingly, Chief Okafor, who had maintained up until the close of nomination for the office of President of the club that he was a student of the Abia Polytechnic, suddenly brought an ND statement of result dated November 30, 2021,” he said.

The statement of results, according to the lawyer, showed that Okafor had graduated from the school with effect from August 2020. However, Amechi claimed that the student could not have graduated in August 2020, despite having been admitted during the 2018/2019 session, because academic activities in 2020 were disrupted globally due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The SAN claimed that there were inconsistencies in the November 2021 statement of results, which was issued under the letterhead of a retired Registrar of the Polytechnic, C.A. Nwabughiogu, rather than the current Registrar, Oriaku Chinyere.

“The statement of result, despite being signed on November 30, 2021, bears the letterhead paper of the retired Registrar of the school, Chief Mrs C.A. Nwabughiogu, rather than the current Registrar, Mr. Oriaku Chinyere,” he explained.

“When the Management of Aba Sports Club 1926 petitioned your school for clarification of the status of the result, a response from your school, dated November 30, 2021, showed the same Ogbuji Ebere Peace who, again, signed for the Registrar, using a letter headed paper bearing the current Registrar of the school.”

According to the senior lawyer, Abia Polytechnic had yet to graduate students of ND programmes admitted during the 2018/2019 session as of December 2021.

According to a Tracknews investigation, Aba Sports Club 1926 wrote the polytechnic on November 23, 2021, seeking clarification on Okafor’s status.

The polytechnic responded by writing an attestation letter confirming Okafor’s graduation in August 2020. However, the club’s Trustees rejected the attestation letter as an alternative to a certificate.

Opurozor insisted in his petition to the ICPC that Okafor was not qualified for the award of ND because he was said to have graduated from the polytechnic at the time.

“The statement of result, dated November 30, 2021 and signed by one Ogbuji Peace Ebere, bears the letter headed paper of the retired Registrar, Chief Mrs C.A. Nwabughiogu, who had left office two months earlier,” he explained.

“The attestation letter signed by the same Ogbuji Peace Ebere and sent to the management of Aba Sports Club on November 30, 2021, bears the name of the current Registrar, Mr. Oriaku Chinyere C.”

“Are there two Registrars at Abia State Polytechnic?” Why was the Diploma statement of result signed on the same date, November 30, 2021, by two Registrars, Chief Mrs. C.A. Nwabughiogu and Mr. Oriaku Chinyere C, when the latter had retired from the polytechnic?

“Does this mean the polytechnic will have two Registrars on November 30, 2021?” This is not possible because the former Registrar could not have issued an official document on her official stationary after she retired.

“It is reasonable to wonder why the current Registrar chose to issue a statement of result in his predecessor’s name, even though the date on the document shows him as the issuer?”

“Which Registrar directed Ogbuji Peace Ebere to sign the attestation letter and result statement on November 30, 2021?”

“Was it the retired Registrar whose name appears on the statement of result but had left office two months earlier, or the current Registrar who took office on November 30, 2021, when the attestation letter and statement of result were issued?”

“We all went to school; student results are processed in batches, and academic boards from various departments and faculties meet to approve them.”

“Following that, the institution’s Senate meets and approves the results from various faculties before they are published.”

“In light of the Covid -19 pandemic, which halted academic activities worldwide in 2020, when did Okafor begin and complete his Industrial Training program, which is a requirement for the award of a Diploma?”

“When did the department and faculty boards, as well as the polytechnic Senate, meet to approve Okafor Gregory Okwuchukwu’s ND result?”

“The management has a lot of questions about this ND statement.

“This is why I petitioned the ICPC to investigate the matter and punish anyone found to be responsible.”

When contacted, Nwabughiogu, the retired Registrar of the Polytechnic, stated that she had left the polytechnic and had no idea what happened after she left.

“At the time I left, there were letterheads there, and they asked someone to come and change those letterheads,” she says.

“I’m not sure what happened after that.” I handed everything over. I couldn’t bring my letterheads with me because I don’t need them.

“Those letter heads may be used for rough paper or anything else, but not for official documents.”

“I’m not sure what happened at the time. I don’t recall signing any letters after I left the office.

“I can’t comment on what happened after I left office.”

“I have no idea what happened after I left office.” Everything that belonged to Abia Poly was left behind. I inherited letterhead paper, but I only used it for rough work.”

In response to the petitions, the polytechnic’s current Registrar, Chinyere, stated that the allegations are being peddled by those who are unfamiliar with the operations of the polytechnic, insisting that the student fulfilled all conditions for the award of ND.

“I can tell you that those are false allegations being peddled by those who are unfamiliar with the operations of the institution,” he said.

All documents required for clarification on the subject are with us and ready to be made available.

“However, I can categorically state that those allegations are false.”

Osonwa, the polytechnic’s rector, said he signed the student’s certificate and urged those who don’t understand how the institution works to stop spreading rumors.

As SAN, a rights group writes poly Rector, a controversy erupts over a businessman’s diploma result. The post appeared first on Track News