C/River tribunal quizzes LG boss on certificate forgery

Gill, Nsa-Abasi calabar - 31.01.2008

Local Government election tribunal in Cross River State sitting in Ikom in the central district of the state is scrutinising the educational certificates of the recently sworn in chairman of Ysakurr Local Government Area, Mr. Ubi Ettah, over allegations of forgery.

The tribunal on Tuesday admitted in evidence, photocopies of Bachelor of Arts and NYSC certificates tendered against the (PDP) candidate in the November 3, 2007 local government election, as the candidate of Action Congress (AC), Mr. Thomas Okoi Ofem, who petitioned the tribunal, alleged that Ettah presented fake certificates to the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (INEC)to qualify for the polls.

Accordingly, authorities of the University of Calabar and National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) may be subpoenaed to testify on the educational qualifications of Ettah.

Submitting photocopies of the certificates, the petitioner told the tribunal that Ettah allegedly presented “forged documents”, which included the NYSC certificate of exemption, Bachelor of Arts degree certificate in English and Literary Studies, and WASC/GCE O’Level certificate, citing a court affidavit contained in the CROSIEC LGE form OO6A

The petition No. LGET/CZ/1/2007 has the electoral officer for the Yakurr Local Government Area, and the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission CROSIEC) as second and third respondents.

Addressing the three-man tribunal headed by Justice O. Ogar, the petitioner urged the tribunal to nullify the Yakurr chairmanship election, as he maintained that Ettah was declared winner of the poll and returned by CROSIEC in error.