By Chidiebube Okeoma

An Appeal Court in Owerri, Imo State, on Tuesday, upheld the withdrawal of a degree certificate issued to the Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu by the Abia State University, Uturu. The appellant court in its judgment nullified the earlier judgment of a High Court in Isikwuato in Abia State which restored the degree to Kalu.

Justice Adefope Okojie in her verdict said 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.

Our correspondent recalls that ABSU had through the registrar, O. E. Onuoha, on March 2, 2013, withdrew the certificate awarded to Kalu for violating the university’s admission and graduation extant rules and regulations. 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.

Originally published at Punch