The alleged certificate forgery which the Senator representing Orlu Zone (Imo West), Chief Hope Uzodinma, is battling to come out clean is wearing another colour as a radical legal professional; Festus Keyamo, has stepped into the matter.
Noted for his activism in constitutional and knotty legal matters, Keyamo has dragged the West African Examination Council, WAEC, to produce the original WAEC certificate of Senator Uzodinma.
It would be recalled that another notable activist and protagonist of Save Imo Group, Nze Ebubeagu Godwin Ekenulo had earlier gone to a Federal Hight Court in Owerri, challenging the academic credentials paraded by the Senator. The court during the last hearing requested Senator Uzodinma and the affected institutions, especially the Federal University of Technology, FUTO, to appear in court for the substantive hearing of the matter.
While the Ekenulo’s matter is still pending at Federal High Court, Owerri, Keyamo has however approached another Federal High Court in Lagos, where he among other things sought a relief for an Order granting leave to the Applicant (Keyamo) to apply for Judicial Review for an Order of Mandamus compelling the Respondent (WAEC) to produce the Certified True Copy of the West African Senior School Certificate of Hope Uzodinma, to the Applicant, in accordance with Section 1 (1), (2) & (4) of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011.
On grounds upon which the Relief is sought, in Suit No FHC/L/CS/921/2013, is that Keyamo in pursuant to Section 4 of FOI Act (2011) has with a letter dated 14th May 2013, applied to WAEC to produce Uzodinma’s WAEC certificate which the body ignored and/or refused to produce based on the fact that he is a legal practitioner who is involved in legal activities for the protection of human rights and fight against corruption in public places in Nigeria.
According to the facts leading to the application deposed by Keyamo, Uzodinma has always claimed to be an Alumni of Mgbidi Boys High School, Imo State from where he allegedly obtained his West African Senior School certificate in 1982, but investigations into the names and persons that graduated in that year revealed that the Senator was not a graduate of the school in 1982, adding that the need has arisen to verify the claim of the Upper National Assembly member in his form to INEC.
The Order of Mandamus according to Keyamo became necessary when a letter dated 14th May 2013, and served to the respondent on 24th June, 2013, the Applicant has applied for the production of the Certified True Copy of WAEC certificate of the Senator, while on July 1st, 2013, at 10.00am, a counsel in Keyamo’s Chamber, named Festus Afeiyodim, visited WAEC office with a view of collecting the Certified True Copy of Senator’s WAEC certificate but was left unattended till the close of work.
Ebubeagu of Save Imo Group fame dragged Uzodimma to court alleging that he has no certificate from FUTO as claimed. The challenger in a message to Trumpeta requested the Senator to make public his academic credentials and prove the authenticity of his credentials.
Reacting on the suit by Keyamo, a media aide to the Senator, Hon Declan Emelumba stated that the academic records of the distinguished Senator is not in doubt adding that the Orlu Zone Senator has no objection to public scrutiny of his academic qualification.
Emelumba insisted that Senator Uzodinma is a proud product of Mgbidi Boys Secondary School where he obtained his WAEC certificate.
The Senator’s camp is however accusing a former Senator for hiring the services of Keyamo for unwarranted purposes, noting that necessary steps including legal options are being employed to handle the matter.
But Ekenulo informed that Senator Uzodimma and his aides should not look elsewhere for where his trouble is coming from as he is leading the battle to ensure he proves the originality of his claimed certificates.
