Benue varsity disowns witness in Anambra governorship suit
From Chuks Collins, Onitsha
THE academic officer of the Benue State University (BENSU), Mr. Timothy Utile, has denied having on the students' list anyone called Miss Nkem Aniecheonwu, who late last year testified as a prosecution witness (PW8) at the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Awka, Anambra State.
In a testimony that lasted for over 79 minutes, Utile, who claimed to have worked in the institution since inception in August 1992, said he is in-charge of all academic and students' records, processing official documents, registration of all admitted students, among others.
He said the witness, Aniecheonwu could not have been in any of BENSU's satellite campuses.
He said though the witness claimed to be in the school's Theatre Arts Department as at October 2003, the three satellite campuses at Oturkpo, Gboko and Adikpo were established in April/May, 2004 and so, she could not have been a student in any of the satellite campuses.
Her name, he added, could not be found in any departmental record in the school.
The university official explained that the two lecturers, Dr. Christy Augie and Dr. Brima of Theatre Arts and General Studies Departments as claimed by Aniecheonwu, are not workers in the university.
The witness, who was led in evidence by Mr. Emeka Ngige, SAN for Governor Chris Ngige, stated that GS101 was not on the course list of the university but that there was GST101. That all the other four courses listed by the young lady were 'borrowed or external courses', wondering why any bonafide student of the school left out mentioning the core courses first.
Utile added that a normal academic calendar approved by the Senate of the university runs from January to June down to October and that the Theatre Arts Department does not run its own time-table in isolation as suggested by the defence witness.
In his cross-examination, Chief Ozoemena Onyali (SAN), counsel to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was told that records of every student flow chronologically from year-one to final year and that records of all year-two students of the school have no such name as Nkem Aniecheonwu.
Mr. E.D. Chukwuma, counsel to the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA's) Peter Obi (the prosecutor), asked Utile whether it was not possible for any other student to be admitted after the matriculation list was closed and held. Utile's reply was "no! That it was not possible in BENSU".
He was told that the school has a students' record of 10,436 undergraduates, 3,000 post-graduate students and 5000 diploma students, out of which the name Nkem Aniecheonwu appeared in none.
Utile, who presented an authority letter from the university registrar (who was the actual person on subpoena by the tribunal) with which he was authorised to come as the details required, were within his purview and work schedule. As none of the parties objected, the letter dated July 23, 2004 was admitted as exhibit RN.
He was the defence witness No 110, residing in the North campus quarters of the University in Makurdi.`
