A coalition of Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, in Abia State has urged the state House of Assembly to constitute a panel of inquiry to investigate alleged certificate racketeering in Abia State Polytechnic, Aba.

The CSOs, in a petition signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Johnson Eme and Veronica Nwaogu, respectively, and addressed to the Speaker of the Assembly, Chief Chinedum Orji, alleged that the Polytechnic issued a Diploma statement of result to a businessman, which showed that he graduated on August 1, 2020, when his classmates were still studying and yet to complete the required duration for the course, having gained admission in 2018.

Casting doubt of the statement of the result, the CSOs also want the Assembly to investigate if the businessman could have completed the duration of the Business Administration and Management course when the Covid-19 pandemic halted academic activities worldwide in 2020.

The group further alleged that the certificate was signed on November 30, 2021, bearing the name of the retired registrar of the polytechnic, Chief Mrs. C.A. Nwabughiogu , instead of the current Registrar, Mr. Chinyere Oriaku.

The CSOs further stated that the sanctity of the certificate as issued by the polytechnic is paramount over primordial interest and urged the House of Assembly to investigate and conduct a public hearing on it. (Sunday Vanguard)

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