From Bassey Ekereuwem
Gov. Akpabio
…Exco Nominee Allegedly forges LLB Certificate, Lies Under Oath
This is not the best of times for the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio as he faces allegations of certificate scam and forgery rocking one of his nominees into the State executive council, Mr Monday Ebong Uko, who is neck deep enmeshed in a cobweb of certificate forgery.
All things being equal, Chief Akpabio may be strolling into the doldrums of jail for allegedly conniving, aiding and abetting certificate forgery and perjury in contravention of the provisions of the Nation’s constitution.
According to an inside source in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Monday Uko’s credentials were heavily marred with sundry irregularities such as a forged LLB degree certificate and inability to provide a National Youth Service Corps(NYSC) exemption/ discharge certificate as stipulated in the Nation’s constitution for prospective public office holders and employees.
A lawmaker who spoke with us in confidence said the entire assemblymen were dismayed when Monday Ebong Uko brought documents that were flawed by discrepancies, but had to clear him because of intense pressure from the State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio.
A closer look at the LLB Certificate(vide attached certificates) purportedly issued by the University of Uyo and dated 20th of September 2005 showed discrepancies in the signatures of the Vice Chancellor Prof. Akaneren Essien and that of the Registrar, Mr Peter Effiong. Whereas Mr Uko accused Peter Effiong of issuing him a certificate, the forged signature on his certificate was that of Mr John Udo who succeeded Peter Effiong.
Investigations revealed that while Prof. A. I. Essien assumed office in December 2005, and could possibly not have signed a certificate that predates his tenure.
Investigations revealed that while Prof. A. I. Essien assumed office in December 2005, and could possibly not have signed a certificate that predates his tenure.
Also conspicuously missing on Monday Uko’s LLB Certificate are both the security hologram and watermark of the University of Uyo which could easily be seen on the certificates of other graduates of the University.
To compound the woes of the embattled nominee, it was discovered that Monday Uko held sway in succession as the full time Vice Chairman, Caretaker Chairman and Executive Chairman of Obot Akara between 1999 and 2007, which contradicts his claim that he was a full time law undergraduate between 2000 and 2005.
But Monday Uko’s deceitful claims have been punctured by an official of the Academic Affairs Department of University of Uyo who in camera, told us that a student admitted into the Faculty of Law in 1999/2000 academic year, could not possibly have gotten his LLB Certificate in 2005, which is a year earlier than his colleagues.
This position was confirmed by available records in the University that a certain Uko, Monday Ebong with registration number 99/UG/22413 was among students dismissed from the institution in the 2002 reforms exercise by Prof A. H. Ekpo against certificate racketeering in 2002.
Furthermore, in an affidavit, Monday Uko admitted on oath that he had no NYSC Exemption or Discharge Certificate and transferred the blame on the former Registrar P. J. Effiong.
The affidavit which is dated 10th October 2013 and deposed in the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Uyo Division, the same day he appeared for screening at the House of Assembly reads in part:
“ upon issuance of the Law Degree Certificate to me on 20th September 2005, the then Registrar of the University, Mr P. J. Effiong informed me in his office in the University campus and I verily believed him as follows:
I. That the University Senate had forwarded my name amongst others who were above thirty (30) years upon graduation to the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) Headquarters in Abuja for issuance of the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) Exemption Certificate…”
However some officials of the National Youth Service Corps who spoke under condition of anonymity to our reporter, faulted the claims of Mr Uko. While confirming that there was no record of any Monday Ebong Uko on the data bank of the NYSC, the source queried that it was absurd for a graduate who has not gotten his certificate after eight years to smile to the court for an affidavit rather than seeking the said certificate from the NYSC
A lawyer who commented on this development, Barr Udofia Eyo revealed that it was a criminal offence punishable by 12 Months imprisonment or a fine of N2000, or both fine and imprisonment for anyone who refuses to make himself available for service in the service corps continuously for one year.
Barr Eyo, while referring to Section 12(1)(a) and (b) as well as Section 13(1) (b) of the NYSC Decree (1993) as enshrined in Section 315 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended), said both the culprit and anyone who aids in the illegal act deserve to go to jail.
“Under this development, the State Governor and the entire members of the State House of Assembly, pursuant to Section 13(5) are guilty for failing to comply with or contravening or cause or aid or abet the nominee to contravene the provision of the act”, Barr Eyo asserted.
He posited further that “ where an offence has been committed by a body corporate is proved to have been committed by a body corporate is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of, or to be attributable to any neglect on the part of, any director, manager, secretary or other official of the body corporate, or any person purporting to such act in such capacity, he as well as the body corporate shall be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be prosecuted against and punished accordingly.”
In his opinion, a social crusader in Uyo Chief Effiong Udosen noted that it was unfortunate that Governor Akpabio often yielded to the temptation of sticking to mediocres and dropouts at the expense of actual professionals that abound in the state, saying it was a direct indictment of his free and compulsory education programme.
Bassey Ekereuwem Dept of Linguistics University of Calabar
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