By Ron Jacob, Jos
Mr Monday Danjem, Registrar, University of Jos on Thursday told a Federal High Court sitting in Jos that the claim of a lawmaker, Mr Ibrahim Baba-Hasssan, to have completed his diploma program with university as “strange’’
“Ibrahim Baba-Hassan had failed six courses of the Diploma programme in Business Administration he enrolled in 1994 couldn’t have completed and even obtained a certificate from UniJos in 1996, ’’ Danjem explained in his cross examination by defence counsel, Mr Solomon Umoh (SAN).
Baba-Hassan, Member representing Jos North-North Constituency in Plateau House of Assembly is standing trial over alleged forgery of the university diploma certificate in Business Administration in 1996.
The Registrar had told the court in his evidence-in-chief that the diploma certificate the lawmaker issued to INEC in 2014, while contesting for the House Assembly did not emanate from the University of Jos.
When the matter came up on Thursday for cross examination by the defence counsels, the registrar insisted that the lawmaker failed courses during the course programme and that there was no way the university could have issued him with a certificate.
Danjem also told the court that even when the Nigerian Police Force, wrote to the university to confirm the authenticity of the certificate, “we told them bluntly that we didn’t issue that diploma certificate to him because it’s very strange to us.’’
“When we saw a publication in Punch Newspaper of March 9, 2016, claiming that the university issued Ibrahim Baba-Hassan with that diploma certificate, we have to immediately counter that with a disclaimer in Vanguard Newspaper.
“The University of Jos at no time issued the defendant with such a certificate knowing full well that he did not complete the course, ’’ he stated.
Again, when Umoh, presented a 2000 Convocation booklet to the Prosecution witness and showed him where Baba-Hassan was issued with a B.Sc Degree in Management Science, Danjem declared it as “only a semblance of the university.’’
“I need to compare this convocation booklet with what I have before I could be sure it’s a true copy of (that) of the University of Jos.
“More so, while the degree certificate you earlier showed me is a Second Class Honour (Lower) as obtained by the defendant in 2000, the page where his name appeared on the convocation booklet showed that he obtained Third Class honour.
“So I need to compare this booklet with that which I have to be sure this is printed by the university, ’’ the registrar stated.
Danjem added, “it’s true the university has every record about Baba-Hassan right from the time he enrolled into the university for the diploma programme.’’
`”Unfortunately he did not graduate and so the university never issued any diploma certificate to him because he failed six courses.”
Mr David Ibeawuchi, prosecution counsel and Mr Joseph Danboyi, who held brief for the APC counsel, Mr L.D. Dafar, declined cross examine or re-cross examine Danjem.
The presiding judge, Justice Musa Kurya, then adjourned the case to Dec. 7 for continuation of hearing.