"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."-Martin Luther King Jr. You graduated from the University of Il...
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."-Martin Luther King Jr.
You graduated from the University of Ilorin (Faculty of Agricultural Science) and you participated in NYSC programme and started to work with a private company.
" I presented the 2:2 certificate to my employer in 2009 for staff record update because that was what I had during the exercise, I submitted the corrected certificate in 2010.
I spoke with their HR department at the time that my certificate had a typographical error and the HR officer said I should submit now then present the correct version later and since it was not for promotion or anything. I assumed it was no big deal then."
I came back for MSc immediately after NYSC programme in 2004 and graduated in 2006. I got PhD admission in 2012.The problem came up on Sept 21, 2016. I was at my workplace(Premium Pension Limited) and got a termination of appointment letter from my employer of 10 years without a summons or query the company just verify my first-degree certificate from the University of Ilorin and it was said to be fake.
I graduated in 2002 with a 3rd class and I was issued with an official statement of result which I used to register for NYSC 2003/2004. I served in Osun state, SW Nigeria.
"I explained how everything came about that I secured my job with the statement of the result(showing I obtained the 3rd class, not 2nd Class). They can contact my Faculty for all my academic records."
You also did your Masters at the same University of Ilorin.
Suddenly, your employer said your University certificate is fake and your appointment was instantly terminated via email unless you show stronger evidence.
In your heart, you knew it was not fake but it was as a result of an administrative error.You rushed to UNILORIN to complain but NOBODY was ready to help you. You started suspecting a foul play.
You've already started your PhD degree since 2012 at the same university and suddenly Unilorin also said you're parading a fake certificate but the matter is currently in the court of law.
Both employer and the former university said your certificate is fake. What else do you wish to hear? How can you convince them further? This may sound like a fairy tale but it was actually true-life story of a former student of the University of Ilorin known as Sherifah Mohammed (Matric No: 96/044042)
In your heart, you knew it was not fake but it was as a result of an administrative error.You rushed to UNILORIN to complain but NOBODY was ready to help you. You started suspecting a foul play.
You've already started your PhD degree since 2012 at the same university and suddenly Unilorin also said you're parading a fake certificate but the matter is currently in the court of law.
Both employer and the former university said your certificate is fake. What else do you wish to hear? How can you convince them further? This may sound like a fairy tale but it was actually true-life story of a former student of the University of Ilorin known as Sherifah Mohammed (Matric No: 96/044042)
According to the lady :
" I presented the 2:2 certificate to my employer in 2009 for staff record update because that was what I had during the exercise, I submitted the corrected certificate in 2010.
I spoke with their HR department at the time that my certificate had a typographical error and the HR officer said I should submit now then present the correct version later and since it was not for promotion or anything. I assumed it was no big deal then."
I came back for MSc immediately after NYSC programme in 2004 and graduated in 2006. I got PhD admission in 2012.The problem came up on Sept 21, 2016. I was at my workplace(Premium Pension Limited) and got a termination of appointment letter from my employer of 10 years without a summons or query the company just verify my first-degree certificate from the University of Ilorin and it was said to be fake.
I asked myself: "But I am currently a PhD candidate at the same University of Ilorin. How can my first degree issued by the same University be regarded as fake?
Due to my dedication to work, I was appointed as a supervisor to staff with a higher qualification which was based strictly on performance.I even became a manager within 2 years of service.
Unilorin was telling me 'come today come tomorrow' to correct your certificate error until I got tired and filed a case at the Federal High Court around March/April 2017
I sued premium eventually around June in Abuja Industrial Court and the case was assigned recently.
Sherifah further lamented that :
"What will I need Oluwole(forged) certificate for? I already had a job, didn't do upgrade, already had MSc. So tell me what I needed the 2:2 certificate for? The current Head of Human Resources who signed my termination letter obtained a 3rd class degree from a Northern Nigerian university
My appointment was crudely terminated on a salary payday without any compensation till today"
Due to my dedication to work, I was appointed as a supervisor to staff with a higher qualification which was based strictly on performance.I even became a manager within 2 years of service.
Unilorin was telling me 'come today come tomorrow' to correct your certificate error until I got tired and filed a case at the Federal High Court around March/April 2017
I sued premium eventually around June in Abuja Industrial Court and the case was assigned recently.
Sherifah further lamented that :
"What will I need Oluwole(forged) certificate for? I already had a job, didn't do upgrade, already had MSc. So tell me what I needed the 2:2 certificate for? The current Head of Human Resources who signed my termination letter obtained a 3rd class degree from a Northern Nigerian university
My appointment was crudely terminated on a salary payday without any compensation till today"
I graduated in 2002 with a 3rd class and I was issued with an official statement of result which I used to register for NYSC 2003/2004. I served in Osun state, SW Nigeria.
I collected MSc form in 2003 while still serving the country as a corps member, wrote exams and did an interview and got admission. I resumed MSc in Feb 2004 and graduated in may 2006.
I got a job with Premium Pensions Limited in mid- Nov 2006 the after the written test, interview and was posted to Osogbo. I resumed on 2nd Jan 2007.
By last quarter of 2008, Unilorin advertised that former students should pick certificates or one has to pay penalty fee so I applied for 2 days off work to pick certificate, I returned my statement of the result at admin and was issued a certificate bearing 2nd Class Lower Division in late 2008.
But statement of result bears 3rd class, I went to the Faculty office to complain through the HOD Agric Economics- Prof Adewumi that took me to the Dean at the time- Prof Yomi Omotesho and he referred us to the then subdean Dr. (Mrs)Fawole that she was in the best position to handle the case being the admin staff of the faculty.
Dr Fawole asked me to drop the original certificate and go with the photocopy while she enquires from admin on the procedure to apply for another certificate. After about 2 or 3months, Prof Omotesho called me that I should find time to come as the Subdean has information for me on how to effect the correction.
By Jan 2009, the HR dept of my company already sent a mail for staff record update and I had to send all educational certificates. So I informed the head at the time, Jamil to say I do not have a certificate because of above reasons since he gave me leave to go and collect certificate some months back.
He then asked me to send photocopy of the one I had and resend another when the corrected certificate is issued. So that's how the erroneous certificate got into my file in 2009 along copies of statement of result, secondary school and all.
I went to Unilorin as requested and Mrs Fawole took me to the Dr(Mrs) Olowoleni) then to say this is the student I discussed with you and she gave me a plain sheet of paper in her office that I should write to her for correction.
I did and still have a copy of the letter. By 2010, I got to know my certificate was ready through Mr Mohammed in Mrs Olowoleni's office because I was following up with him and had in fact gone to apply for the transcript to be sent to World Evaluation Service(WES) and some universities abroad for PhD programmes.
But in the year 2016, Premium Pension Limited HR said they were doing staff auditing and verification of certificates and that they saw 2 certificates (one that's the 3rd class and another one with 2nd class lower as well as a statement of result that's 3rd class).
Dr Fawole asked me to drop the original certificate and go with the photocopy while she enquires from admin on the procedure to apply for another certificate. After about 2 or 3months, Prof Omotesho called me that I should find time to come as the Subdean has information for me on how to effect the correction.
By Jan 2009, the HR dept of my company already sent a mail for staff record update and I had to send all educational certificates. So I informed the head at the time, Jamil to say I do not have a certificate because of above reasons since he gave me leave to go and collect certificate some months back.
He then asked me to send photocopy of the one I had and resend another when the corrected certificate is issued. So that's how the erroneous certificate got into my file in 2009 along copies of statement of result, secondary school and all.
I went to Unilorin as requested and Mrs Fawole took me to the Dr(Mrs) Olowoleni) then to say this is the student I discussed with you and she gave me a plain sheet of paper in her office that I should write to her for correction.
I did and still have a copy of the letter. By 2010, I got to know my certificate was ready through Mr Mohammed in Mrs Olowoleni's office because I was following up with him and had in fact gone to apply for the transcript to be sent to World Evaluation Service(WES) and some universities abroad for PhD programmes.
But in the year 2016, Premium Pension Limited HR said they were doing staff auditing and verification of certificates and that they saw 2 certificates (one that's the 3rd class and another one with 2nd class lower as well as a statement of result that's 3rd class).
"I explained how everything came about that I secured my job with the statement of the result(showing I obtained the 3rd class, not 2nd Class). They can contact my Faculty for all my academic records."
According to Mrs. Okojie(Deputy Registrar), she said my employer sent a letter to verify the 2:2 certificate and that I graduated in 2004. Okojie said they checked my all transcript record and saw I had collected transcript but they don't have any other record if I had never collected transcript. Okojie dropped the bombshell and said my certificate is fake because she did not see the 2nd class lower certificate in the transcript file but a 3rd class."
It shows clearly that Mrs. Okojie was not ready to help me resolve this problem as expected of her despite series of official letters sent to her by my former lecturers and Head of Department. She was so adamant and unfriendly during my few encounters with her.
I registered for Masters with a 3rd class statement of a result at the same University of Ilorin and the transcript in my file bears 3rd class not 2nd class .I cannot express my frustration and sadness right now. I am just hoping to hear good news from the courts.
Head office of the company is Premium Pension Limited, 4 Agwu Crescent, Garki, Abuja
I think the company I served with full dedication for close to 10 years treated me unfairly to have left dismissals of a top staff to one person without proper investigation. This is just another miscarriage of justice.
It shows clearly that Mrs. Okojie was not ready to help me resolve this problem as expected of her despite series of official letters sent to her by my former lecturers and Head of Department. She was so adamant and unfriendly during my few encounters with her.
I registered for Masters with a 3rd class statement of a result at the same University of Ilorin and the transcript in my file bears 3rd class not 2nd class .I cannot express my frustration and sadness right now. I am just hoping to hear good news from the courts.
Head office of the company is Premium Pension Limited, 4 Agwu Crescent, Garki, Abuja
I think the company I served with full dedication for close to 10 years treated me unfairly to have left dismissals of a top staff to one person without proper investigation. This is just another miscarriage of justice.
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