ABIA State University (ABSU) Senate sat today to approve the recommendation made by the School Governing Body Ethic Committee Panel on Fake Admission and Graduate Degree Certificate. The Senate unanimously disassociated the institution from the purported Orji Uzor Kalu degree certificate.

According to School authority, Orji U. Kalu cannot be a graduate of ABSU without meeting the minimum standards set by the School on admission and graduation.

Meanwhile, reports reaching elombah.com said Soldiers and policemen yesterday descended on students of the Abia State University ABSU, for protesting the planned revocation of the degree awarded former governor of the state, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu by the institution. Kalu had completed his first degree programme at ABSU when he was governor and earned a bachelors degree. Surprisingly, the Abia State government recently threatened that the state s university would revoke the degree, in a move believed to be the continuation of the persecution of the former governor. Yesterday, when ABSU Senate was expected to meet over the matter, hundreds of students had converged on the administrative block as early as 7am.

The students, who were on a peaceful demonstration, were however, dispersed, even as some of them were beaten up and whisked away by combined team of soldiers and mobile policemen. Saturday Sun observed that no fewer than five students were beaten to a pulp and thrown into the waiting vans of the military personnel. While the mobile policemen stormed the campus with security van with the inscription, “MOPOL 28”, the soldiers came with several Hilux vans. The protest had started in a peaceful manner and within thirty minutes, the team of security operatives stormed the campus, beating student, including those who were not part of the protest. In the circumstance, students and staff were seen running helter-skelter for their lives.

It was not immediately clear where the arrested students were taken – to the police station or to army barracks, since both outfits were involved in the operation. Some of the Placards the students were carrying read: “NO TO REVOCATION OF OUK’S DEGREE.” “OUK IS ONE OF US.” “THIS INHUMAN TREATMENT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE TOMMORROW.” “IT IS OUK TODAY, IT CAN BE ANYBODY TOMMORROW.” “GOVERNMENT SHOULD SAVE OUR FUTURE.” “DEGREE FROM THIS UNIVERSITY MAY NOT BE CREDIBLE AFTER THIS.” “POLITICS SHOULD NOT BE MIXED WITH EDUCATION.” Two students who did not disclose their names said they were on their way for lectures when the security men started beating everybody.

“We were just going for lectures when I had a slap from the back, only for me to look and it was from a soldier; they started beating me and my friend. We had to run for our life.” Efforts made to reach the PRO of the School, Mr. Acho Elendu, for comments failed as he did not pick his call on his phone, 08037448159. There were hints earlier this week that there were plans by Governor Theodore Orji to invoke his powers as the visitor to the Abia State University and revoke the degree certificate the university awarded to his predecessor. It was learnt that this followed a recommendation of an investigative panel that looked into a spurious petition lodged against the certificate issued several years ago. Kalu had cut his degree programme at the University of Maiduguri and had transferred his transcript records and other details to Abia State University, where he completed the programme.


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