By CrossRiverWatch admin
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Professor James Epoke has told CrossRiverWatch that he has personally requested for and has seen the certificate of Hon. Jarigbe Agom, member representing Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives and the certificate was genuinely issued to him after he graduated from the institution.
They have been allegations of certificate forgery against Hon. Jarigbe Agom by his opponent in the last general elections, Major Akpang Obi Odu rtd., who is still at daggers drawn with the federal lawmaker at the election petition tribunal.
The University of Calabar Registrar, Mr. Moses Abang further gave vent to Obi Odu’s allegations by issuing a letter denouncing Agom’s certificate leading to numerous social media reports and gossips about the authenticity of his credentials.
But all of that seem to be crumbling now as a further check by the school has confirmed that Hon. Jarigbe Agom actually graduated from the Department of Chemistry in University of Calabar and was awarded a Bachelors degree which he signed and collected along with his course mates.
When CrossRiverWatch contacted the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor James Epoke over the matter, he said when the controversy broke, he ordered a more thorough investigation and more facts have emerged.
“You see, there was a mix up earlier. I understand a document had gone out which I think created the mix up. I spent over 30minutes with the Head of Department of Chemistry this morning in my office. I invited her and requested for the academic records and certificate of Hon. Jarigbe.
“I have seen his certificate and it is genuine. I have seen where he signed and collected the certificate and it is genuine. I have also seen the CPGA and all that are genuine. What I have also requested for is the results from year one to the fourth year which the HOD and her team are still searching for.” the VC said.
A check at the Registry of the University by CrossRiverWatch, reveal little to wonder why records as simple as students results and certificates are a tough call to find by the institution.
The first observation by our reporter was the dilapidated state of the place where student records are kept. Some of the files which are still kept in hard copy files have been beaten by rains and eaten up by the elements over the years.
A staff in the department who did not want to be named told CrossRiverWatch that the records department suffered flooding some years back and several of the documents were washed away and may never be recovered.
Our source also complained about the inability of the department to migrate from storing manual files to digital storage for ease of access and better safety of the records alleging inadequate funding.
Our reporter also observed that several other former students of the school who are also faced with similar fate were around frantically making efforts to locate their documents.
Some of them who spoke to our reporter said they wished they were also honorable members of the green chambers so that their own cases too can be expedited.