..insist as at 1981, they did not have pictures on certificates as shown by Umo Eno
An official from West African Examimation Council (WAEC) who was subpoenaed for the resumed hearing at the ongoing Governorship election tribuna on Friday 16th June, 2023l, Mr Adekanmbi Olaolu, a Senior Legal Officer told the Governorship tribunal that the examination body did not have photographs of the examination body’s candidates on its certificates as at 1981 against that which is tendered by the defendant, Mr Umo Eno and equally dismissed that WAEC cannot issue different certificates to the same candidate who sat for different WAEC examinations with the same number in the case of the defendant.
Olaolu while being cross examined by Paul Usoro, SAN further told the court that WAEC does not have any evidence to tender with respect to Mr Umo Eno’s alleged WAEC certification of 1998 in his possession.
Earlier counsel to Senator Bassey Albert , Ahmed Raji, SAN had tendered certified true copies of WAEC candidates both school based and external taken for 1981,1983 and 1998 for the court and counsels of the defendant to peruse but they did not find Mr Umo Eno’s name .
Tunde Falola Esq, in the legal team of the petitioner rejected the the student form so tendered by Dr Ime Akpabio, Director of Academic Affairs of the University of Uyo who was also subpoenaed during cross examination as it was in variance with certified true copies of the form earlier issued by the University of Uyo registry. .
Dr Akpabio had earlier contradicted himself when he said University of Uyo does not have an Administrative Officer 1 in the Directorate of Academic Affairs who signed the certified true copies of the evidences before the tribunal but later said the University has Administrative Officer 1 in his Directorate, that the expulsion list and expulsion letter to Umo Eno as signed by Mr P.J Effiong then Registrar of the institution are correct .
Akpabio again contradicted himself to say that the Administrative Officer 1 is low in ranking to have endorsed the certified true copy even as he accepted that the e receipt from the University of Uyo so tendered by the plaintiff is genuine as it is a condition for issuance of certified true copies of the university documents.
The subpoenaed witnesses and documents comes as a command for one to appear before a court to show if the alleged forged school certificates and the expulsion of the defendant from the University of Uyo are real.
Senator Bassey Albert in his petition to the tribunal is alleging that the defendant, Mr Umo Eno has questionable WAEC certificate (s) which did not qualify the defendant to have been so admitted talkless of graduation from the University of Uyo.
“When it is time to screen students out of the University in their final year, the Records Officer writes to the Vice-Chancellor through the Registrar. I was in Records. I was the Snr. Asst Registrar. I screened him”, Dr. Akpabio noted. The question legal minds are asking if he only screened Mr Umo Eno at the time from his department when they.were several officers in the records Department equally doing the screening.
A senior staffer in the University of Uyo (name withheld) who came to witness proceedings at the tribunal while speaking to newsmen confirmed that both the position of Administrative Officer and Daniel Akpan exist as the comments by the Dr Ime Akpabio was purely to deceive the court as he has been compromised.
The question is , which WAEC certificate exactly merited and gave Mr Umo Eno admission to study Political Science/Public Administration in the University of Uyo when he has only 4 credits in all from two or three different sittings without Mathematics and English Language against the known University of Uyo policy of having five credits including Mathematics and English Language ?
Hearing at the tribunal continues on Saturday June 17 as Distinguished Bassey Albert, YPP Governorship Candidate the petitioner is expected to present more witnesses before closing his case.