Segun James
The House of Representatives member representing Bomadi/Patani federal constituency in Delta State, Mr. Nicholas Mutu, has lamented that the defeated All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the last general election, Mr. Collins Eselemo, is bitterly blackmailing him.
Mutu, who contested and won the election on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the allegations of forgery and impersonation leveled against him by Eselemo are not only frivolous and ill-motivated, but aimed at damaging his hard-earned reputation as the longest serving legislator in the country.
He said conventional and social media have been littered with allegations of certificate forgery and impersonation against him instigated by his former opponent in the election.
Mutu, in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Mr. Ebitimi Ogbomah, said all the allegations bordering on certificate forgery and impersonation had been “rubbished by the responses of the appropriate authorities, including all the schools he (Mutu) attended and the National Assembly, where he had been a member, courtesy of the good people of Bomadi/Patani federal constituency since 1999.”
On the allegation that Mutu’s West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Ordinary Level School Certificate/General Certificate of Education (GCE) issued by the management of Rivers State School of Basic Studies, Rumuola, Port Harcourt, now known as Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, was fake, Ogbomah said a letter written by the Registrar of the institute, Mr. Chris Woke, on the matter, had cleared Mutu of any wrongdoing.
In the letter, Woke confirmed that the school was not only recognised but was a centre for WAEC and GCE in 1986 when Mutu sat for the examination.
Woke, who attached the certified copies of the master list/computer printout of candidates who sat for the examination in the centre in 1986, said Mutu, with number 21648/094, was among the candidates.
The APC candidate in the letter, which was sequel to an enquiry made by Mutu’s solicitors, Mr. Patrick Ikwueto, stated that “I write to confirm that the former Rivers State School of Basic Studies, Rumuola, Port Harcourt (now Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic), was a recognised school and centre for West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Ordinary Level School Certificate/General Certificate of Education (GCE) examinations as at May/June 1986.
“The then Rivers State School of Basic Studies, Port Harcourt, functioned as a recognised school/centre for May/June WAEC/GCE Examinations from 1977 to June 1987 and continued with November/December General Certificate of Education(GCE) up to 1990 before it was discontinued following the introduction of the 6-3-3-4 education system in Nigeria.
“The master list/computer printout of the candidate, 21648/094, Mutu Nicholas Eboma, among other candidates that sat for the May/June examinations in 1986, is certified attached hereto and marked as Annexure 1.
“The former school of Basic Studies established in 1977 by the Rivers State Government was changed to Rivers State College of Arts and Science in 1991 (vide Annexure 2), Port Harcourt Polytechnic in 2016 (vide Annexure 3) and now Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic Rumuola, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.”
Ogbomah also said the degree certificate awarded to Mutu by St. Clements University is authentic and genuine, adding that contrary to Eselemo’s claim, his boss was awarded a Bachelor of Arts and not Bachelor of Science degree in Business Organisation by the reputable institution.
“Instead of Eselemo to visit the website of the school or write to the school to confirm the authenticity or genuineness of the certificate, he prefers to tow his characteristic dishonourable path of character assassination and smear the good image of Hon. Mutu. For the records, St. Clements University certificate is genuine and anybody can go to university’s website, write or visit the school to confirm that Mutu indeed obtained his degree from the school,” he added.
