By Pascal Oparada
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu has refuted allegations by an online newspaper, Premium Times that he claimed to have graduated with First Class in Law from University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
In the report titled, “Document shows that Kachikwu lied about graduating with First Class in Law”, the newspaper, in a fact check, said the minister made the claim during a church programme in February, 2017.
But the Minister in a statement and in a series of tweets denied ever claiming to have graduated with First Class in Law from Nsukka.
He said the newspaper misrepresented information about him obtaining the First Class from the University.
“My official CV and resume is in the public domain and has been submitted to various levels of Government and Parastatals. Also the document clearly states that I obtained a “Second Class Honours (Upper Division) degree” from the Faculty of Law at the University of Nigeria Nsukka
“In addition, no First Class Honours were awarded by University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) in 1978. However, I was on the list for best graduands with Second Class Upper Honours for that year. At no time have I misled the Nigerian public or my colleagues in believing otherwise”, he said in the tweets.
He said he merely emphasised on the need for hard work amongst youths to get them to the top of their game.
According to him, he had a first class performance in the University and not degree as claimed by the newspaper. He said his resume is in the public domain and has been submitted to various levels of government and parastatals.
But evidence shows that the Minister actually claimed to have graduated with First Class from the University in the video cited by Premium Times.
Further checks by TheNiche show that the minister’s profile in Wikipedia said he had a distinction in law from the University. A distinction is equivalent to First Class. Although the minister claimed that his Wikipedia page has been doctored.
Those who have known the minister told TheNiche that he has been mouthing that he obtained First Class from the University all along whe he was the publisher of the now rested Hints magazine.
This is the speech of minister at the church programme.
“It is amazing the sort of revolution that takes place outside the civil service; public service; and the outer space.
“A lot of revolution goes on in houses like this and sometimes all of us who are in government need to find time to come out and spend time with you and get encouraged by the burst of energy that you see…”
While speaking on fate and destiny, Mr. Kachikwu took the congregation on a journey of his life, highlighting his educational achievements.
“…I went to Ife (Obafemi Awolowo University) to try and read medicine and I was there for two weeks and then I got admission to read Law. My Father drove all the way to Ife to meet me and he asked, why do you want to go to the University?
“And I said, my ambition is to be a doctor and he said, why are you taking the line of what he called the least resistance? And I said, what do you mean by that and he said, well, if you want to be a doctor why don’t you just go and read Ph.D., get to the very top…
“My dad was talking to a little boy and that got me. So, I packed my bag, left the school of medicine and went to read Law.
“And, I got in there, got a scholarship and became the best student, I had a first class in that institution (UNN).
“And then, I left from there to the law school and in the law school, I think just like the pastor said: people encourage you. All my colleagues came and said, we are all here representing our institutions, if you brought a first class from Nsukka you better make it work here where everybody is gathered.
“…I made a first class in the law school and then, getting to Harvard – my feeling, as soon as I got into Harvard was – this is a very unique institution, the biggest in the world and basically you must have a 2.1 or first class from your primary institution before they can accept you…
“At the end of our master’s programme, I was the best student; got a Harvard scholarship and I went to do my doctorate and for it; I set what is still a record in Harvard of completing a doctorate in one and half years.”
“I made a first class in the law school and then, getting to Harvard – my feeling, as soon as I got into Harvard was – this is a very unique institution, the biggest in the world and basically you must have a 2.1 or first class from your primary institution before they can accept you…
“…At the end of our master’s programme, I was the best student; got a Harvard scholarship and I went to do my doctorate and for it; I set what is still a record in Harvard of completing a doctorate in one and half years.”
