A member of the Abia State House of Assembly may be on his way out of the hallowed chambers if found guilty of certificate forgery.
The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, has directed the state Police Command to investigate the allegation of alleged forged certificates presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission for screening by the lawmaker identified as Mr. Francis Ifeanyi Uchendu.
It was learnt that the order came following a petition written to the IGP by one Goodness Kalu Agbai, with copies to President Buhari, the Senate President, Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, among others.
The petition alleged that the legislator presented forged papers while he was being screened to contest as a member of the state Assembly, representing Ohafia South.
The petition dated October 19, 2015 and titled, ‘Petition against Francis Ifeanyi Uchendu for certificates forgery and perjury’ and made available to journalists, reads, “I write to inform you that the mentioned person is in possession of certificates he forged; a degree certificate in Marketing from University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and NYSC certificate.”
The petitioner, who wrote in from Amaekpu Ohafia, Abia State, alleged that the House member used the said certificates to deceive INEC and the general public in 2011 general election when he first contested for the Ohafia South State Constituency seat.
He (the petitioner) also claimed that the lawmaker was privy to an existing certificate forgery syndicate.
Agbai, who is a businessman in Aba, said he petitioned because he was afraid of the negative impact the house member was going to make in the society with a forgery background and knowledge of a forgery syndicate.
He said, “I know that he is not a graduate of any university in Nigeria and has never been a National Youth Service Corps member. It will serve the Nigerian country better if Francis Ifeanyi Uchendu and his accomplices are interrogated and prosecuted if found to have forged the mentioned certificates.
“I have other documents to substantiate this claim, although he brags that his in-law is a judge in Abia State and therefore, he can bribe his way out of any self-imposed problem.
“He did not have five credits, including English Language and Mathematics to have qualified him to take JAMB examination for admission in the University of Uyo. He only passed English Language in 2000 from the result on page nine, and he claimed to have graduated in 1999.”
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