A coalition of civil society organisations operating under the Civil Society Groups of Good Governance has rejected claims that the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee dismissed allegations of certificate fraud against the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu.
In a statement released in Abuja on Thursday, the president of the coalition, Chief Dominic Ogakwu, described reports suggesting that the deputy speaker had been cleared as misleading. According to him, the committee only ruled that it lacked the legal authority to hear the matter and did not examine or dismiss the substance of the allegations.
Ogakwu explained that the petition submitted to the disciplinary body questioned whether Kalu simultaneously participated in the National Youth Service Corps programme while also undergoing training at the Nigerian Law School.
The coalition argued that the timeline indicated in the deputy speaker’s NYSC discharge certificate and his Call to the Bar raises questions that require further clarification. It maintained that such circumstances could potentially conflict with the provisions of the NYSC Act and the regulations governing legal training.
According to the group, the LPDC simply stated that the issue regarding how Kalu was enrolled by the Supreme Court of Nigeria as a legal practitioner falls outside the committee’s statutory jurisdiction.
Ogakwu added that several critical questions remain unanswered including whether the deputy speaker may have misled the Nigerian Law School the NYSC or the Body of Benchers during the process of obtaining his credentials and legal qualification.
The coalition noted that similar controversies in the past led to serious consequences for public officials. It cited the resignation of former finance minister Kemi Adeosun over certificate related issues and also referenced controversies surrounding former minister Uche Nnaji.
The group insisted that the LPDC ruling does not end the matter and vowed to continue pursuing the issue through other appropriate institutions.
It also announced plans to stage a protest at the National Assembly in Abuja to demand accountability, stressing that public office holders must remain subject to scrutiny and transparency.
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