Certificate scam:Court Sacks Deputy Speaker
Yakubu Busari ,Jos
A Federal High Court sitting in Jos has sacked a Plateau lawmaker, Ibrahim Baba Hassan over certificate forgery.
Baba Hassan who currently represents Jos North-north was found him guilty on Tuesday for certificate forgery and was ordered to pay compensation to the plaintiff counsel.
Baba- Hassan who is also a former Deputy Speaker told THISAGE he would appeal the judgment.
He said, he graduated from the University of Jos with a diploma certificate and gained admission to study first degree and second degree in the same institution but the registrar told the court that “I was a student of the institution but I didn’t finish the programme”.
The court which was presided over by Justice Musa Kurya ordered the sacking of Plateau State lawmaker Ibrahim Baba Hassan, acting on suit by Abdul Nasri Daleh
The former deputy speaker, Baba Hassan was dragged before the court in 2015 by Abdul Nasir Saleh who challenged the authenticity of the Diploma Certificate in Business which the lawmaker claimed he obtained from the University of Jos.
Saleh who contested party primaries with the sacked lawmaker on the platform of All Progressive Congress in 2015 where he came second, approached the court to seek declaration that the information that the lawmaker said he possess a diploma certificate in Business Administration (Lower Credit) from the University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria on 25th November 1996 or is a holder of a Diploma (BUS)“ Administration (Lower Credit) of the University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria 1990, is false.
He also asked the court to declare that the 1st Defendant was not qualified to contest election into Plateau State House of Assembly in respect of Jos North-North Constituency in view of the fact that the information that the he possesses or is a holder of a Diploma in Business Administration (Lower Credit) of the University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria on 25‘” November 1996 or is a holder of a Diploma in Business Administration (Lower Credit) of the University of Jos, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria dated 25‘“ November 1996 which he stated and supplied in his Affidavit in Support of Personal Particulars of Persons seeking election to the Office/Membership of Plateau State House of Assembly in respect of Jos North-North Constituency of Plateau State sworn in the Registry of the High Court, Jos on the 16th December, 2014, which the 1St Defendant submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, is false. .
A declaration that the plaintiff is the rightful candidate of the 2nd Defendant in the election into the Plateau State House of Assembly in respect of the Jos North-North Constituency of Plateau State held on the 11th April, 2015, being the only qualified aspirant in the Primary Election held by the 2nd Defendant to nominate its candidate for the said election concerning the Plateau State House of Assembly in respect of Jos North Constituency of Plateau State, to have contested the said election.
And that, An Order disqualifying the 1st Deendant as the candidate of the 2nd Defendant for election to the Plateau State House of Assembly in respect of Jos North-North Constituency of Plateau State held on the 11th April, 2015, on the ground of violation of Section 31 (5) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and non fulfilment of the constitutional requirement to conduct the said election.
Both counsels to the plaintiff, first, second and third defendants filed oral and written submissions culminating to the final determination of the case.
In his judgement, the presiding Judge, Justice Musa Kurya said there is no trace of proof that the certificate submitted to INEC by the lawmaker is genuinely obtained from University Jos.
The Judge also in his ruling said ” I wonder a person whose diploma certificate is proved to have been forged is sitting and making law. I wonder the laws that he will make for the development of his constituency and by extension, the state as a whole”.
Kurya further submitted that other additional degree certificate obtained by the accused using the contentious diploma which has been proved to be forged, can’t build something out of nothing.
He however granted all the prayers sought by the plaintiff to include payment N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira) being the total legal fees for prosecuting this matter from inception. N25,000,000.00 (Twenty Five Million Naira) as General Damages.
In Addition to N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) being the cost of filing this action.
The Judge called on the Department of State Security Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crime Commission(EFCC) Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) and State House of Assembly to take not of this judgement.
