Rector's Certificate is Fake - Unilag Says

The University of Lagos, Akoka, said Akinola Olaolu, the rector of Igbajo Polytechnic, did not obtain a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics from the institution as he claimed.

Akinola who is faced with fake result scandal claimed that the university is his Alma Mata. But  the Principal Assistant Registrar, Communications Unit, University of Lagos, Mrs Taiwo Oloyede, said the institution did not have a record of him.

In the same vein, prof. Chibuzo Nwoke, the Vice-Chancellor of Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, Ile Ife, Osun State, where the rector worked in 2012, said Olaolu’s credentials were fraudulent. He noted that Olaolu left the institution due to his questionable credentials.

The investigation of the rector certificate was due to a crisis at the Igbajo Polytechnic, a community owned tertiary institution in Osun State, over the PhD certificate of the rector.

The rector was said to have been employed in the school in December, 2015, as a deputy rector to the former rector, Tanimowo Oke.

His arrival into the school reportedly led to the removal of Oke, who had a master's degree because he claimed to have a PhD in Economics from the University of Ibadan.

However, more than eight months after his arrival, he was reported to have refused to produce his purported PhD certificate, as he submitted only a notification of result to obtain the job and this made the institution to contact the University of Ibadan with a copy of the notification of result.

The Director of Public Communications, Mr Olatunji Oladejo, said the varsity had no record of the rector.

The UI spokesperson said Olaolu’s purported matriculation number was fraudulent; and his  purported thesis supervisor, said that there was no record of Olaolu in the Department of Economics where he claimed to have bagged the doctorate.

Also, response is being awaited from the University of Oxford, where he allegedly claimed to have obtained a General Certificate of Education Examination in January 1972; and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), where he allegedly claimed to have attained professional level in January 1994.

Reported By OLUGBODI FLORENCE