An Abia State High Court, on Wednesday, vindicated former governor of the state, Orji Uzor Kalu, in his suit against Abia State University Uturu, where the former sought for a court redress on the withdrawal of his certificate by the Senate of the institution.
Trial judge, Hon. Justice Agwu Umah Kalu, while granting all reliefs sought by Kalu against the institution, slammed the report of the Ad-hoc Senate Investigation Panel on allegations of Fraud and Breach of Regulations concerning the admission and graduation of the business mogul.
Recall that Kalu had dragged the institution to Court following the March 1, 2013 cancellation and withdrawal of the degree of the claimant without affording him an opportunity to defend himself of “the grave allegations against him amounts 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).”
Delivering his judgement, Justice Kalu mandated the Senate of the university to “immediately restore the degree result and certificate of Orji Kalu Orji. He also awarded a pay cost of the suit to the tune of N100, 000 to the claimant.
The judgement read in part: “Following all I have said above, the court holds that the suit of the claimant is meritorious and grants all the reliefs 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 1st March, 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 into this court 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 further issues an order removing into this court, for the purpose of its being quashed, the decision of the 2ND defendant made on the 1st day of March, 2013, which was based on the Report of the Abia State University Senate’s Adhoc 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].
“Finally, an order issues 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 N100,000:00 to the claimant,” the Judge said.
