Reps Member-elect lacked credentials for HND Admission – Federal Poly Oko
By Ofonime Honesty
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Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, on Wednesday, admitted that the member-elect for Eket Federal Constituency in Akwa Ibom State, Hon. Okpulupm Etteh, did not present a valid West Africa Senior School Certificate and National Diploma Certificate prior to being admitted for a Higher National Diploma programme in the institution.
This was disclosed by the Deputy Registrar of the institution, Mr. Alexander Onyewuchi during cross examination by Barr Jumbo Udom, Counsel to Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, who was the candidate of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25, 2023 national assembly election in the constituency.
Hon. Eyiboh holds that Hon. Etteh was not qualified to run for the office.
Mr. Onyewuchi, who was representing the registrar of the polytechnic, told the tribunal that the institution duly issued an HND certificate to Etteh upon completion of the programme.
But when shown documents indicating that Etteh obtained WAEC in 2002, ten years after he got his National Diploma Certificate from School of Management Technology, Aba, Mr. Onyewuchi argued that Etteh was given admission for Pre-HND Programme and asked to enroll for WAEC as an external candidate.
He also told the court that Etteh did not present his ND before being admitted into the HND programme.
When informed by the plaintiff’s counsel that such was inconsistent with Nigeria’s education policy, Onyewuchi became mute.
The petitioner’s counsel also observed that Etteh only had 2 Credits in another WAEC Certificate he is parading, hence did not even meet the NBTE admission requirement of 5 Credits. 1990 was mentioned as the year inked on certificate.
Udom also observed that Etteh got his First School Leaving Certificate in 1988 and gained admission into School of Management, Aba, in 1990, just two years after leaving primary school.
Furthermore, the petitioner’s lead counsel pointed out that the School of Management, Aba (now Temple Gate Polytechnic, Aba) was not found on the list of accredited private polytechnics in Nigeria compiled from 1926 till date.
The Tribunal rejected a purported attendance booklet presented by the Federal Polytechnic Oko on the grounds that the document had no name, logo or any other insignia of the institution on it.
Another witness, Mr. Ozemene Goodluck James, the Registrar of Temple Gate Polytechnic, Aba (formerly School of Management Technology), tendered a letter of undertaking which Etteh had signed prior to admission, promising to provide his credentials on a later date.
When shown the list of accredited polytechnics since 1926, Mr James declined to peruse the document.
Akaninyene Inyang, Deputy Director of Examination and Certification Unit in the Ministry of Education, Akwa Ibom State, also appeared as a subpoenaed witness to attest that the WAEC certificates of 1990 and 2002 were genuine.
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Mr. Oku Johnny Udoetor, who appeared as witness for the PDP, also tendered Hon. Etteh’s certificates, and attested to same as genuine.
But Counsel to the Plaintiff objected, saying PDP as a political party, does not issue academic certificates, and should therefore lack the locus standi to validate the authenticity of someone’s educational credentials.
But Counsel to the PDP, Barr Utibe Nwoko objected saying such documents can be duly admitted by the court despite PDP not being the issuer.
He cited Section 9 of the Evidence Act; Obenbe vs Ekene 2015 13th NWLR Part 1471, Page 1; Omiyale vs Wema Bank 2017, Part 1852 Pages 300, 335 and 337, to reinforce his stance.
Counsel to Etteh, Asuquo Ntekim SAN argued that his client duly attended accredited institutions and obtained certificates upon graduation.
He said the plaintiff’s petition is totally defective and inconsistent.
National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), an agency empowered to approve, regulate, accredit and sanction Polytechnics, Monotechnic and related institutions, represented in court by its director of legal affairs, Rekiya Shuaibu, Esq. had earlier confirmed the non-existence of the School of Management Aba which Etteh claimed to have obtained his National Diploma certificate form.
