Ahead of the national convention of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the South-south Emerging Leaders’ Forum (SELF) has asked the Chairman of the Screening Committee to be diligent and authenticate certificates of all aspirants to avoid future embarrassment.
The forum specifically called out one of the aspirants for the position of National Vice Chairman (South-south) Hon. Victor Giadom whose WAEC certificate is been questioned.
In a statement released to newsmen Tuesday in Abuja, the Forum’s national coordinator Barrister Preye Wilson, said all efforts to authenticate the WAEC certificate of Hon. Giadom have proved abortive.
The statement said: “It was like a joke when someone drawn our attention to the controversial West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate on social media submitted by Hon. Giadom Victor Tombari, with certificate number NGSS 0373112, which he claimed to have sat for in 1992.
“The forum did not however take it as a social media talk but made frantic efforts to authenticate the said certificate number but to no avail. WAEC Scratch Cards were bought and when the said number were searched for on the WAEC Portal it only showing ‘resul not available for this candidate in the specified year and Exams diet.’
“We are, however, calling on the APC National Convention Screening Committee to probe further and ensure that Giadom is made to defend the said certificate.
“Why we demand an explanation from Hon. Giadom, the forum also call on all security agencies to take note of this development.”
The forum said it was also investigating Hon. Giadom’s First School Leaving Certificate Examination which he claimed to earn in 1976 “but surprisingly wrote WAEC 14 years after (1992).”
Barrister Wilson said his organisation raised the alarm and demand explanations on the alleged irregularities “so as to avoid future embarrassment not only for the party but the entire South-south region.
“We, therefore challenge individuals and various Civil Society Organisations to also take up the challenge in the bid to dig out the truth behind the alleged certificate scandal of Hon Giadom.”