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Certificate Saga: Why Agents Of Darkness Hate And Persecute Me – Buhari’s Aide On Calls For Resignation

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  • September 25, 2018
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By Obeten Godfrey

The Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on prosecution, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla has said that he is on the list of most hated appointees of the President due to his stand due to his position on national development.

Obla took to Facebook last weekend following calls for either his resignation or sack after the ex finance minister, Kemi Adeosun resigned following allegations of a forged National Youths Service Scheme exemption certificate.

Obla who has been at the center of an alleged forgery of WAEC certificate, wrote: “Among the appointees in President Muhammadu Buhari‘s Government, I am one of the most hated by retrogressive elements and agents of darkness in the country! I am the most persecuted! The most abused! The most defamed! The most ridiculed!

“They just hate my guts! My courageous! My unbridled loyalty to Mr President! My uncompromising position on National Unity and Cohesion! My fight for National Rejuvenation and Resuscitation! My zeal for social and political Reformation of the country! My execution of official schedule with uncommon courage and fear of God!

Obla, who is also the Chairman of the special presidential panel on public property recovery said he will not be swayed by attacks and insults in what ever form launched against him in the discharge of his responsibilities.

“I am not deterred by personal attacks, hatred, defamation, insults, harassment and intimidation! I believe God and History will one day vindicate me,” he wrote.

The Cable had reported that the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) had written the President on May 14, alleging that Mr. Obla had gained admission into the University of Jos with a forged WASCE certificate.

HURIWA described as “startling,” it’s findings on Obla in that letter.

“Obono-Obla gained admission into the University of Jos with a suspected fake WASCE result. Evidence available to us shows that Okoi Obono-Obla (Ofem Okoi Ofem) sat for May/June 1982 (examination registration No. 09403/247) at Mary Knoll College, Ogoja, where he obtained the following results: English Language – C6, Literature in English- Absent, Bible Knowledge- C4, Government- A1, Economics- C5, Mathematics- F9, Chemistry- F9, Biology- F9. We attach herewith a copy of the result issued by WAEC.

“This result can also be easily verified on WAEC result portal by obtaining a PIN card at the cost of N700.00 (Seven hundred naira only).

“Okoi Obono-Obla (Ofem Okoi Ofem) took Joint Matriculation Examination (JME) conducted by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in 1985 and was offered admission into the Faculty of Law University of Jos (in the 1985/1986 session) where he presented a statement of result allegedly obtained from Mary Knoll College, which details are as follows: English Language – C6, Literature in English – C, Bible Knowledge – C4, Government – A1, Economics – C5, Mathematics – F9, Chemistry – F9, Biology – F9.

“You will see that whereas the genuine WAEC result has listed the result for Literature as ABSENT, ANNEXURE B, which forms the basis on which Okoi Obono-Obla (Ofem Okoi Ofem) was offered admission to study Law at the university, claims that he obtained C6 in Literature.

“However, on the basis of the forged result, he graduated from the University of Jos in 1989 with a second class (lower division) and proceeded to the Nigerian Law School where he passed out from in 1991 with a pass grade after failing the law school examination in 1990.

“It is worthy of note that after he was called to the bar in 1991. Ofem Okoi Ofem, for reasons best known to him, changed his name to Okoi Obono-Obla. See the Deed of Change of Name (ANNEXTURE E) and confirmation of name change issued by the registrar of the supreme court on 15th October 2015,” the letter read in part.

CrossRiverWatch had reported that a House of Representatives adhoc panel was set up to investigate Mr. Obono-Obla.

And, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) while testifying before the panel said what was presented as Obono-Obla’s certificate has been invalidated by an alteration.

The WAEC Registrar, Dr. Iyi Uwadiae represented by a Deputy Registrar of WAEC, Mr. Femi Ola had said that: “From our record, the genuine candidate is Ofem Okoi Ofem, 09403/247 of MaryKnoll College, Ogoja.

“The exam number and number of subjects are the same. The difference is the grade in English literature in which he claimed to have scored C6 despite being marked absent in the true, certified copy.”

And, the chairman of the adhoc committee, Mr. Aliyu Pategi (APC, Kwara) had said that the implication was that Mr. Obono-Obla gained admission to the University of Jos with a fake WAEC result.

But, Obono-Obla in his reply described the matter as “otiose,” and called out those smiling at his travails.

“Those who want to excite themselves are free to do so! It is a free world!” he wrote on Facebook.

“I did ‘O’ levels thirty six (36) years ago! I graduated from University 29 years ago! I was called to the Nigerian Bar 27 years ago! ‘O’ level is my lowest qualifications!

“I have since before a foremost author with two published books to my credit and two on coming ones! It is therefore idle and grand frivolity for anybody to be taking about something that has become otiose!” he added.

Now, following the resignation of Mrs. Adeosun, calls for Obono-Obla’s sack and resignation have been intensified on Twitter.

Mr. Kpategi’s committee had called for Obono-Obla’s arrest for refusing to honor their invitation and He took to Facebook again to disclose that he has since gone to court to challenge the legality of the probe.

He wrote: “The case is currently in the Federal High Court of justice. The House of Representatives has no power to investigate my educational qualifications. Forgery is a criminal offence hence only the Nigerian Police holds statutory power to investigate and prosecute.”

Continuing, Obla said: “The House of Representatives has no power to investigate the crime of forgery. This is a hatchet job masterminded by some members of the national assembly who are under investigation by my panel (Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property).”

He claimed the probe was a witch hunt and aimed at smearing his image even as he alleged that the committee members are “lackeys of Senator Ekweremadu and the leadership of the national assembly,” whom are, “determined to intimidate and rubbish me because I dare to investigate some ranking senators who have illegally acquired assets that are beyond their earnings.”

Furthermore, he averred that: “The recommendation of the committee is unconstitutional and of no effect. The House cannot constitute itself into a Court of Law . The House cannot be the accuser, prosecutor and Judge all rolled into one.

“It is a classical case of witch hunting, such as never seen in the annals of legislative history in Nigeria. The Chairman of the Committee and indeed all the members were R-APC and PDP and they have now defected to PDP. The Chairman of the House Committee even suggested that I would be severely dealt with because I don’t have a god father.”

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