Certificate Saga: Don’t Take My Peaceful Disposition For Weakness, Ikpeazu Warns Hon. Ginger Onwusibe

Abia state Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has warned the member representing Isialangwa North Constituency in the state Assembly, Hon. Ginger Onwusibe to be mindful of his utterances, cautioning that his peaceful disposition should not be seen as a sign of weakness.

The governor was responding to an allegation by Hon. Onwusibe that he (governor) is responsible for moves by the state-owned university, ABSU to withdraw his First and Second Degree certificates over alleged examination fraud.

The governor in a release by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Onyebuchi Ememanka said he has no hands in Onwusibe’s travails with the university, stating that he is only a visitor to the school and has no business with its day to day affairs, adding that he does not give the institution instructions on its dealing with its students.

Ever since the primary election in Abia State in which Onwusibe lost his bid to represent Isialangwa North/South Federal Constituency, his relationship with the governor has gone frosty, leading to the defection of Onwusibe from PDP.

Onwusibe is said to have appeared before the Examination Malpractice Committee of ABSU on issues related to exam fraud.

The governor is urging him to seek advise if he is not satisfied with the decision of the school to sanction him rather than pointing an accusing finger at him.

“Our attention has been drawn to a Social Media post made by Hon. Ginger Onwusibe, the Member representing Isiala Ngwa North State Constituency regarding a case of academic misconduct involving him and the Abia State University, and particularly, his constant reference in the said post to the Governor of Abia State and the rather unfortunate attempts to link the Governor to his problems in the University.

“Ordinarily, the Office of the Governor of Abia State should not get involved in the relationship between a University and her student but this reaction has become necessary as a result of the tendency of the post under reference to send wrong signals and deceive gullible members of the public.

“The Governor of Abia State, by Law, is the Visitor to the Abia State University. By this special designation, the Governor is not involved in the day-to-day running of the University and he does not, most certainly, give any directives to the University management on how to manage her relationships with her students.

“It is therefore disingenuous and outrightly mischievous for Hon. Onwusibe to drag the name of the Governor into what is clearly a case where the University exercised her rights to discipline her student, simply because it is convenient for him to do so.

“The height of it was his claim that the Vice-Chancellor of the University informed him that the Governor has instructed him to withdraw the First and Masters Degrees awarded previously to Hon. Onwusibe,” the statement says.

The governor stated that he has no right to order the school to withdraw the certificate of a graduate of the institution, even as a former lecturer who understands the workings of the university.

“As a University Lecturer of many years, a former Head of Department and a statutory Member of the Senate of a University, Governor Ikpeazu detests academic fraud and is firmly of the view that any student indicted for academic fraud should face the consequences of his action. Such student must however be afforded the opportunity of a fair hearing. If the student isn’t satisfied with the outcome of the process, he has options available to him.

“To be clear, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has no hand whatsoever in whatever travails Hon Ginger Onwusibe is facing in the University.

“By his own admission, Hon. Onwusibe appeared before the University Examinations Malpractice Panel and responded to the allegations made against him. If he is not satisfied with the procedure or outcome of the Panel, he should seek professional advice on how next to proceed, instead of recklessly dragging the name and office of the Governor of Abia State into the internal affairs of a University.”

The statement added that the habit of treating with disrespect, the person and office of the Governor of Abia State has reached intolerable dimensions and must be stopped.