A former governor of Abia State,
Orji Uzor Kalu, was on Wednesday vindicated by an Abia State High Court in his
suit against Abia State University Uturu, where he sought for a redress on the
withdrawal of his certificate by the Senate of the institution.
The trial judge, Hon. Justice
Agwu Umah Kalu, while granting all reliefs sought by Kalu against the
institution, faulted the report of the Ad-hoc Senate Investigation Panel on
allegations of Fraud and Breach of Regulations concerning the admission and
graduation of the former governor.
The former Abia governor had
dragged the institution to Court following the March 1, 2013 cancellation and
withdrawal of the degree of the claimant without affording him an opportunity
to defend himself of “the grave allegations against him amounts to a breach of
the claimant’s right to a fair hearing guaranteed under the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).”
Justice Kalu while giving his
verdict, mandated the Senate of the university to “immediately restore the
degree result and certificate of Orji Kalu Orji. He also awarded a pay cost of
the suit to the tune of N100, 000 to the claimant.
The judgement reads in part,
“Following all I have said above, the court holds that the suit of the claimant
is meritorious and grants all the reliefs sought by the claimant.
“The Court proceeds to declare
that the report of the Ad-hoc Senate Investigation Panel on allegations of
Fraud and Breach of Regulations concerning the admission and graduation of the
claimant [Kalu, Orji U. 00/42226-GDP] and the decision of the Senate of the
Abia State University of 1st March, 2013, which cancelled and withdrew the
degree result of the claimant [Kalu Orji U. 00/42226-GDP] without affording the
claimant an opportunity to defend the grave allegations against him amounted to
a breach of the claimant’s right to a fair hearing guaranteed under the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 [as amended].
“Now, in consequence of the above
declaration the court issues an order removing into this court for the purpose
of its being quashed, the proceedings, decisions, findings and or report of the
Abia State University Ad-hoc Senate Investigation Panel on Allegations of Fraud
and Breach of Regulations concerning the admission and graduation of the
claimant, [Kalu, Orji U. 00/42226-GPD] for breach of the claimant’s right to
fair hearing guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, 1999 [as amended].
“The court further issues an
order removing into this court, for the purpose of its being quashed, the
decision of the 2ND defendant made on the 1st day of March, 2013, which was
based on the Report of the Abia State University Senate’s Adhoc Investigation
Panel on Allegations of Fraud and Breach of Regulations concerning the
admission and graduation of the claimant, [Kalu Orji, U. 00/42226-GPD] for
breach of the claimant’s right to fair hearing guaranteed under the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, [as amended].
“Finally, an order issues from
this court mandating and/or directing the 2nd defendant to immediately restore
the degree result and certificate of the claimant Kalu Orji, U. 00/42226/-GPD.
“Costs naturally follow events.
The defendants are pay costs of this suit assessed and fixed at N100,000:00 to
the claimant.”
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