From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, has denied any wrongdoing in an alleged certificate racketeering against the institution in relation to a National Diploma result issued to a student, Gregory Okwuchukwu Okoafor.
A lawyer, Okey Amechi, SAN, had written Abia Poly, over what he described as the manner in which the student, Okoafor was issued OND result in 2021.
Amechi demanded to know the authenticity of the result, adding that its authenticity was seriously in doubt, since according to him, as of December 2021 when the result had been issued, the school was yet to graduate students for the 2018/2019 session, which Okafor belonged to.
A human rights group, the Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy, (CRPA), also wrote the polytechnic over the same issue.
However, in a statement signed by the PRO, Mrs Stella Nwakanma, Abia Poly stated, “That the institution has at no time compromised its standard by engaging in certificate racketeering.
Read also: ICIR, FCT NUJ kickstart training of 100 reporters on fact-checking, data, multimedia journalism
“That the student in question was duly admitted by the institution and also fulfilled all conditions required for the issuance of his National Diploma Statement of the result.
“That the institution is ever ready to respond to any inquiries relating to its operations in line with laid down procedures”.
While urging for a balanced reportage on the matter, the release warned those who it said are hell-bent on dragging the name of the institution into the mud to desist from that.
The institution said it has mandated its legal team to explore all legitimate options to redress the issue.