A High Court in Abia State has ordered the restoration of the academic results and certificate belonging to former Abia State governor, Orji Kalu.
The court presided over Agwu Kalu made the decision after ruling that the Abia State University failed to give Mr. Kalu a chance to defend himself over allegations brought against him.
According to the judge, the action of the school amounted to a breach of Mr. Kalu’s fundamental rights.
Mr. Agwu also ordered the school to pay N100, 000 to the plaintiff as cost of instituting the suit.
According to a report by ThisDay newspaper, Mr. Kalu had approached the court after the University withdrew his results in March 2013.
The school accused Mr. Kalu of fraudulently breaching his admission regulations. Following the alleged findings of University’s Ad-hoc Senate Investigation Panel on fraud allegations and breach of admission regulations, the school withdrew Mr. Kalu’s exam results, an action which led to the former governor’s suit in May, 2013.
Mr. Kalu asked the court to nullify the decisions of the Investigation Panel on the grounds that his rights to fair-hearing were allegedly violated.
The paper reports that the court granted all prayers sought by the plaintiff and ordered the immediate restoration if his results.
“The court holds that the suit of the claimant is meritorious and grants all the relief sought by the claimant. The court proceeds to declare that the report of the Ad-hoc Senate Investigation Panel on allegations of Fraud and Breach of Regulations concerning the admission and graduation of the claimant (Kalu, Orji U. 00/42226-GDP) and the decision of the Senate of the Abia State University of March 1, 2013, which cancelled and withdrew the degree result of the claimant (Kalu Orji U. 00/42226-GDP) without affording the claimant an opportunity to defend the grave allegations against him amounted to a breach of the claimant’s right to a fair hearing guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
“Now, in consequence of the above declaration, the court issues an order removing, for the purpose of its being quashed, the proceedings, decisions, findings and or report of the Abia State University Ad-hoc Senate Investigation Panel on Allegations of Fraud and Breach of Regulations concerning the admission and graduation of the claimant, (Kalu, Orji U. 00/42226-GPD) for breach of the claimant’s right to fair hearing guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
The Court nullified the cancelation of Mr. Kanu’s result, still on the grounds of a breach of the plaintiff’s rights.
“Finally, an order is issued from this court mandating and/or directing the 2nd defendant to immediately restore the degree result and certificate of the claimant Kalu Orji, U. 00/42226/-GPD. Costs naturally follow events. The defendants are pay costs of this suit assessed and fixed at N100,000 to the claimant,” the court ruled.
