Imo North: Frank Ibezim’s alleged fake WAEC result, sifting through the maze of lies

In the year 1980, IBEZIM FRANCIS CHUKWUMA who accepts and likes to be called FRANK,. because of its synonym or same meaning with his name  FRANCIS, sat for the MAY/JUNE WAEC organized School Certificate Examinations at Uboma Secondary School, Ikperejere, Etiti,now Ihite Uboma LGA of Imo State..

Out of the NINE subjects registered, he cleared SEVEN and triumphed with overall GRADE 1(ONE) result. He didn’t sit for two(Statistics and Accounts) and was failed accordingly.

In the Statement of Results, which was duly signed and released to the brilliant Ibezim, who sat for the examination at Zuboma Secondary School, Ikperejere in Etiti Imo State in 1980,  the name of the student wasclearly stated as: IBEZIM FRANCIS CHUKWUMA, with number: 041, and center number: 11631.

Ibezim made the following scores:

1.English Language  6(Six)  CREDIT; 2.Bible Knowledge  1(ONE) EXCELLENT; 3.Economics. 3 (THREE) GOOD; 4.Mathematics.       4(FOUR) CREDIT; 5.Statistics.           9(NINE). FAIL; 6.Chemistry.           3(THREE). GOOD; 7.Biology.                 5(FIVE). CREDIT; 8.Commerce.         6(Six). CREDIT; and 9.Accounts.      9(NINE). FAIL. His aggregate score was 22 and overall Grade result 1(ONE), Date 16th Jan.1981.

It was with this Statement of Results that he gained admission into the old Imo State University, now Abia State University where he studied and graduated with Bachelor of Science Degree(BSC) in Industrial Chemistry.

Having lost his original documents and other valuables in an unfortunate hazardous incident, he preferred to approach the Imo North Senate Bye Election with the minimum academic requirement that can easily be assessed online, the WAEC  Result.

In the present digital world, a simple click at the WAEC website (waecdirect.org) with the particulars above will display, without ambiguities, the statement of results for anyone’s personal conviction.

However, in filling the INEC form, Ibezim innocently entered his name as CHUKWUMA FRANCIS IBEZIM instead of IBEZIM FRANCIS CHUKWUMA as contained in his WAEC certificate.

It was this negligible rearrangement in name that the mischief makers are blowing out of proportion as fake certificate,  false information, fatal discrepancies, self contradictory names and most persuasively misled the courts into proclaiming it perjury for the sole agenda of Ibezim’s disqualification.

The question is whether the circumstance under reference rendered Ibezim’s WAEC Certificate unauthentic which answer is a categorical NO.

It must be noted that the honest Ibezim did not deny this action nor made efforts to change or correct the name on his certificate as alleged,  rather he went to the court to ASSERT ownership of this certificate and his name through a sincere affidavit.

This undeniable move is allowed in law but the courts decided to do otherwise. The least and right expectation, where there is a strong suspicion of criminal indulgence, will be to adopt a standard criminal procedure and subpoena the institutions (WAEC and the School Authority) for desired affirmations but the courts kept deaf ears to this.

Another area of significant mention which the court summons to the WAEC would have helped the court to cure is what the learned  Jurist saw as discrepancies between the Nine Subjects in the Statement of Results and the Seven in the WAEC Certificate.

The true position is that the Statements of Results are made to convey all the subjects registered by the applicant (student) while the Certificate proper carries only the Subjects sat for and passed by the student.

For Ibezim, he registered a total of Nine Subjects as contained in the Statement of Results while his Certificate has on it the Seven he sat for and passed. This is the WAEC standard norm and not a discrepancy as erroneously contained in the judgment.

One can just describe this as a clear perverse decision which ultimately will constitute a veritable ground of appeal and an issue for determination at the supreme court.

Needless to say that a plethora of appeal and supreme court decisions had taken place since after the Bayelsa Governorship case of PDP and 2 others versus Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo and 3 others which the courts relied on in giving their judgments in the Ibezim’s case.

One of such latest decisions is the instant case of Hon. Nasiru Garba Dantiye(PDP Candidate) Versus Musa Mohammad Adamu(APC) and others in the Bye Election of 14th March 2020 for the Babura/Garki Federal Constituency of Jigawa State.

In this matter, the APC Candidate who won the election entered his name as Musa Mohammad Adamu against Moh’d Musa Adam on his WAEC Certificate and Statement of Results.

Both the Appeal and Supreme Courts agreed with the affidavits and averments of the Respondent(APC Candidate) that Moh’d is the abbreviated form of Mohammad and that Adam is synonymous and same as Adamu.

This clarification has become absolutely important to truthfully inform the reading public and save them from the barrage of falsehoods and quantum of politically motivated misleading posts on the internet and publication that made banner headline on the White-Paper Newspaper of Monday 8th February 2021 among others.

Having offered these brief explanations and frankly hoping that the Supreme Court, will as always, sieve the CHAFFS from the GRAINS,  by removing this bitterly contrived disqualification of the APC Candidate, a great Okigwe son of unquestionable nobility and rich pedigree, Sir Frank Ibezim, who is already genuinely wired for the development turnaround of Okigwe zone as he works in synergy with the State Governor, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, Honourable Minister of the Federal Republic, Barr(Dr) Chukwuemeka Nwajuba, the APC Federal Government particularly the Senate Leadership under Ahmed Lawal and other positive minds in and outside the country.

The APC victory in the Imo North Senatorial Election is a good omen that must be sustained.

May the Almighty God receive the glory of its consolidation IJN, Amen.