Appellate Court Upholds Withdrawal Of Sen. Uzor Kalu’s University Certificate

Senator Orji Uzo Kalu has again lost the bid to get his Bachelors’ degree certificate from Abia State University restored.

The state university had withdrawn the certificate from the former governor over allegations of fraud and breach of admission regulations.

Though Kalu got a favourable judgment at a high court, the appeal court in Owerri nullified the judgement on the ground that the lower court lacked jurisdiction over the matter.

Owerri, Imo state – A Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri, Imo state, on Tuesday, November 30, upheld the withdrawal of the Bachelors’ degree certificate of former governor of Abia state, Senator Orji Uzo Kalu, by the Abia State University.

Channels TV reported that the presiding judge, Justice Oludotun Adefope-Okojie, nullified the judgement of a high court which had restored the Bachelors’ degree certificate of the former governor.

Legit.ng gathered that the state university had in 2013 withdrawn Kalu’s certificate over allegations of fraud and breach of admission regulations concerning his graduation.

However, the former governor who is now a serving senator later approached a state high court in Isikuato in Abia state to challenge the allegations and the subsequent withdrawal of his degree by the university.

Ruling in favour of the Abia State University, the appeal court held that the state high court in Isikwuato lacked jurisdiction over the matter.

Justice Adefope Okojie in her verdict said that the Isikwuato high court had no jurisdiction to preside over the certificate issue.

According to The Punch, the appellate court held that Senator Kalu ought to have exhausted all the remedies available to him before approaching the court to challenge the decision of the Senate of Abia State University to strip him off the degree certificate.