Okowa’s missing certificate: Fabricators and peddlers of fake news must be arrested, group tasks security agencies

Ahead of the 2023 general election, a group, Forum for the Restoration of Good Governance in Nigeria has urged the security agencies to identify, arrest and prosecute Nigerians who are fabricating and peddling fake news with the intention of misinforming the reading public.

The group also advised that issues concerning on how to check the economic, security and political downturn being witnessed in Nigeria presently should dominate the campaigns rather than seeking to diminish and undermine personalities.

In a statement issued Thursday in Abuja, Forum for the Restoration of Good Governance in Nigeria calls for the condemnation of a plot by some persons to ridicule the academic profile of Delta State governor and the Peoples Democratic Party’s Vice Presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa wherein they insinuate that a well trained and qualified medical professional like him do not possess a West African School Certificate.

According to the statement issued by  James Oche and Usman Tsafe  the Chairman and Secretary of the forum respectively said, “We are therefore demanding that any calculated attempt by any person or group to frustrate, diminish or ridicule the profile of Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa to an extent of insinuating that a well trained and qualified medical professional like him do not possess a West African School Certificate must not only be condemned but resisted.

“We also demand that the fabricators of this fallacy must be arrested and prosecuted by the security agencies for peddling fake news, in line with the relevant laws of the land.

“We also advice the political class while they get ready for the coming general election, to henceforth generate campaigns that will arrest the economic, security and political downturn being witnessed in Nigeria presently rather than going for mundane issues. It is obvious that when a party in government fails to deliver in all indices set for itself, the fear of rejection by the ballot will push them to begin to engage in fruitless battle.

“Okowa nomination as the PDP presidential running mate is best thing that has happened to the party. His numerous achievements as a Senator and two term governor of Delta state are enough testimonies that can never be wished away by any person or party.”

According to them, “Few days ago, the news about the missing West African School Certificate of the Delta State governor and the Peoples Democratic Party’s Vice Presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa surfaced in the media with some elements in the All Progressives Congress, APC in celebration mood in what appeared as a justification for the inability of their Presidential candidate to produce a valid minimum certificate required to contest the highest executive office in Nigeria.

“We ordinarily would not have bothered to respond to such hogwash particularly knowing that merchants of falsehood in the other political party will stop at nothing from dragging someone to the basement where they presently reside. But for clarification, it is pertinent to note that Okowa is a trained Medical Doctor who not only got admitted to the prestigious University of Ibadan but passed through the intellectually tasking rigour of medical training. If you are conversant with Nigeria education system, no one passes through the system with fake O’Level result without been caught. Uncountable numbers have been weeded off.

“The governor has also tendered evidence of his certificates. He has verifiable classmates and school mates. His parents are known and his childhood friends are all around and are testifying unlike some other persons whose names, parentage, academic background are very mysterious just like their sources of affluence.

“In his own testimony, Okowa while debunking reports that he has no West Africa School Certificate (WASC) certificate, said he had the second best result in his set in the country in 1976 and that the issue around the certificate was deliberate wrong perception and unnecessary politics.

“The governor stated that virtually, all universities in the country offered him admission based on his outstanding performance in WASC and Higher School Certificate (HSC) examination. Though, he may have lost his WAEC certificate but he also said he has the print out from Edo College, Benin City, which clearly stated that he had distinction in all subjects. He also testified that he finished medical school at the University of Ibadan at the tender age of 21, an enviable feat that laid the foundation to his rising profile.

“It is obvious that his nomination as the running mate to the PDP’s presidential flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar has really jolted the camp of the opponents. The huge support that has resonated from the South East and South South in support of his candidature has been enormous and the political capital this will add to the PDP quest to recapture power from the catastrophic party in government cannot be glossed over hence the attack on his person.”

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