A University lecturer, Professor Philip Agbebaku has told the Edo Election Petitions Tribunal that Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State was his classmate at the Blessed Martin Secondary Model School, Jattu, Uzairue, Etsako West Local Government Area from 1963-1965.
Prof Agbebaku who was a witness for the 1st defendant, Governor Adams Oshiomhole told the tribunal at its resumed hearing, yesterday, that the Edo Governor was known as Adams Aliu when he was in school.
The witness told the tribunal that the Governor was then known and addressed as Adams Aliu but was not surprised that the Governor is now known as Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, saying that people add to or subtract from their names as they grow old, saying that he (witness) was also formerly known as Sunday Phillip Agbebaku, but later dropped the name ‘Sunday’ from his credentials, saying this did not detract from his credentials.
Under cross-examination from the Petitioner’s counsel, Chief Efe Akpofure (SAN), on whether the results obtained by the Governor from Ruskin College, Oxford, the United Kingdom was equivalent to a Secondary school certificate, Prof Agbebaku said the courses listed in the certificate were in fact higher than secondary school subjects and were university courses, saying “my Lord, Industrial Relations, Industrial Sociology and Industrial Economics are all University Courses and are far, far higher than Senior Secondary School certificate subjects and cannot be taught in a school lower than the equivalent of a university.”
Speaking further, the witness who is an expert in International Relations told the Tribunal that the power to evaluate the equivalents of results or certificates was vested in a section of the Ministry of Education, adding that his academic qualifications as a Professor of note enables him to rate the equivalent of certificates.
He told the tribunal that whatever the Petitioner, Maj-Gen. Chareles Airhiavbere told the tribunal was his personal opinion. He pointed out Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole as the Adams Aliu who was his classmate at Blessed Martins Secondary Model School, Jattu, Uzairue.
On the insinuation by Counsel to Airhiavbere, Chief Efe Akpofure (SAN) that the witness testified for the 1st petitioner, Governor Adams Oshiomhole, because he wants his wife Prof Blessing Agbebaku to be confirmed as Vice Chancellor of the Ambrose Alli University, the witness said his wife as Professor of Law was lecturer to some of the lawyers at the Tribunal, and is eminently qualified to be the Vice Chancellor of any University in the World.
Sitting in the matter has been adjourned till January 10, 2013.
