Alleged Forged Credentials: Degi Has No Blemish -Court
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With the verdict of the court of appeal, Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo is a clean man who never indulged in any criminal act of certificates forgery. His name and image which was dragged in the mud is now becoming as white as snow.
A certain Mr Godsgift Eriaye of the Bayelsa Integrity Group had approached a Federal Capital Territory FCT High Court in Bwari, for an order to remove the senator who represents Bayelsa East in the National Assembly for alleged forgery of his academic documents.
In the suit which had the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Adamu as second defendant, the claimant had sought a declaration “that the First School Leaving Certificate from Ministry of Education of Government of Rivers State of Nigeria with number RS/EV1/76/013360 from State School Bassambiri bearing the name Degi Biobaragha which the 1st defendant claims, and has presented before various authorities as belonging to him and has obtained various benefits on account of same including, in particular, his current membership of the Senate of the National Assembly of Nigeria, was not duly issued to and does not belong to the defendant, but to another person by the stated name, and the use of same by the defendant is unlawful and constitutes a forgery and falsification of same.”
Eriaye may have been emboldened to approach the court following the Supreme Court judgement to the effect that Degi, who served as chairman of Nembe Local Government and as a commissioner in Bayelsa State, was not fit to serve as deputy governor because of discrepancies in his name as they appear in his credentials.
However, the FCT High Court presided over by Justice A.O Musa in its judgement dated November 13, 2020, held that “the name Degi Biobaragha on the first school leaving certificate from Ministry of Education of Rivers State of Nigeria with number RS/EV1/76/013360 from State School Bassambiri (now State School 1 Nembe) is an error and misspelling of the 1st defendant’s name, Biobarakuma Degi”.
Justice Musa said notwithstanding the error in the spelling of the name, the certificate was genuine and belonged to and was issued to the senator.
The court also declared that the name Adegi Biobarakumo on the West African Examinations Council’s General Certificate of Education ordinary level of June 1984 with Certificate Number SG 851767 was an error and a misspelling of the 1st defendant’s name, Biobarakuma Degi and that the certificate was genuine and was issued to the senator.
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It further held that the Masters in Business Administration statement of result from Rivers State University of Technology dated 14th February 2002 bearing the name Degi Biobarakuma Wangagha was genuine, belonged to and was issued to no other person than the senator. The court awarded the sum of ₦500,000 for Degi, against Eriaye.
Justice Musa had also declared that there was no evidence to establish a prima facie case of forgery or any other crime at all against Degi to warrant his prosecution by the IGP.
He said by virtue of the Supreme Court judgment in Fawehinmi v. IGP & 2 others (2002), the IGP cannot be compelled by court to commence investigation of any crime or prosecution of any perceived or suspected offender. He consequently awarded another ₦500,000 against Eriaye.
Not satisfied by the verdict of the high court, Eriaye had approached the court of appeal for a reversal of the judgement. But the appellate court upheld the decision of the lower court, giving Degi a clean bill of health.
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The court ruled that the appeal lacked merit and deserved to be thrown into the trash can. The senator who reacted to the judgement expressed gratitude to God for the victory, saying that he has been vindicated and his good image gradually getting restored.
It is not clear if Eriaye has taken the case to the supreme court, but there were indications that he may approach the apex court.
