Appeal court upholds ABSU’s withrawal of Orji Kalu’s degree certificate

An Appeal Court in Owerri, Imo State has upheld Abia State University’s withdrawal of a degree certificate issued to Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.

Orji Kalu is the former governor of Abia state and the current Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate.

The presiding judge, Justice Oludotun Adefope Okojie nullified the earlier judgment of a High Court in Isikwuato in Abia State which restored the degree to Kalu.

The appeal court judged that the Isikwuato high court had no jurisdiction to preside over the certificate issue.

The jurist insisted that the respondent 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 off the degree certificate.

Abia State University, Uturu, had stripped Kalu of the certificate awarded him through the registrar, O. E. Onuoha, on March 2, 2013.

The university stated that Kalu had violated the university’s admission and graduation extant rules and regulations.

Orji Kalu had approached a High Court in Isikwuato in Abia State to challenge the university’s allegations and withdrawal of his certificate.

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Reacting to the judgement, the counsel to ABSU, Jesse Nwaenyo disclosed that the University was happy with the verdict of the appeal court.

He said that the judgment had further proved that Kalu did not merit the certificate awarded to him by the institution.