**MUTU REACTS TO ALLEGATIONS OF FORGERY, IMPERSONATION 

A member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Nicholas Mutu, representing Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency in Delta State, has reacted to allegations of forgery and impersonation being levelled against him by the defeated candidate of the All Peoples Congress (APC) in the area in the February 2019 general election, Mr. Collins Eselemo.

Mutu, who contested and won on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), described the allegations as frivolous and ill-motivated,adding that they were aimed  at damaging his hard-earned reputation.

The conventional and social media have been awashed lately with allegations of certificate forgery and impersonation against Mutu, by his main opponent in the election.

However,  Mutu, in his reaction in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Mr. Ebitimi Ogbomah, said all the allegations bordering on certificate  forgery and impersonation had been “rubbished  by the responses of the appropriate authorities, including all the schools he (Mutu) attended and the National Assembly, where he  had been a member, courtesy of the good people of Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency, since 1999.”

On the allegation that Mutu’s West African Examinations Council ((WAEC) Ordinary Level School Certificate/General Certificate of Education (GCE), issued by the management of Rivers State School of Basic Studies, Rumuola, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, now, known as Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, was fake, Ogbomah said the letter written by the Registrar of the institute, Mr. Chris Woke, on the matter, had cleared Mutu of any wrongdoing.

In the letter, Woke confirmed that the school was not only recognised but was a centre for WAEC and GCE in 1986, when Mutu sat for the examination.

Woke, who attached the certified copies of the master list/computer print out of candidates, who sat for the examination in the centre in 1986, said Mutu, with number 21648/094, was among the candidates.

Woke in the letter, which was sequel to an enquiry made by Mutu’s solicitors, Mr. Patrick Ikwueto, SAN, stated, “I write to confirm that the former Rivers State School of Basic Studies, Rumuola, Port Harcourt (now Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic), was a recognised school and centre for West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Ordinary Level School Certificate/General Certificate of Education (GCE) Examinations as at May/June 1986.”

“The then Rivers State School of Basic Studies, Port Harcourt, functioned as a recognised school/centre for May/June WAEC/GCE Examinations from 1977 to June 1987 and continued with November/December General Certificate of Education(GCE) up to 1990, before it was discontinued following the introduction of the 6-3-3-4 education system in Nigeria.”

The Master List/Computer Print Out of the candidate, 21648/094, Mutu Nicholas Eboma, amongst other candidates that sat for the May/June Examinations in 1986 is certified, attached hereto and marked as Annexure 1″

“The former school of Basic Studies established in 1977 by the Rivers State Government was changed to Rivers State College of Arts and Science  in 1991 (vide Annexure 2), Port Harcourt Polytechnic in 2016 (vide Annexure 3) and now Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic Rumuola, Port Harcourt, Rivers State,” Woke added.

Ogbomah also said the degree certificate awarded to Mutu by St. Clements University was authentic and genuine, adding that contrary to Eselemo’s claim , his boss was awarded a Bachelor of Arts and not Bachelor of Science degree in business oraganisation by the reputable institution.

“Instead of Collins Eselemo to visit the website of the school or write to the school to confirm the authenticity or genuineness of the certificate, he prefers to tow his characteristic dishonorable path of character assassination and smear the good image of Hon. Nicholas Mutu. For the records, St. Clements University Certificate is genuine and anybody can go to university’s website, write or visit the school to confirm that Hon. Mutu Nicholas indeed obtained his degree from the school, “‘he added. 

Similarly, Ogbomah clarified the issue of his boss’  usage of fake name in the National Assembly from 1999 to 2003, adding that the records were available in the National Assembly website for verification. 

He said, ” We expected the petitioner to visit the National Assembly Website or write the National Assembly, but he decided to rely on a faceless magazine report. But to put the record straight, it is Hon. Nicholas Mutu profile that has been in the National Assembly website from 1999 till date. It is also on record that Hon. Nicholas Mutu has won all his elections from 1999 till date and certificate of return has always been issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in his name, with which he does his documentation in the National Assembly at all times.”

“It is worthy of note that nobody can do his or her documentation in the National Assembly and be sworn-in without a certificate of return.”

Ogbomah stated further that “to demonstrate that Eselemo is on campaign of calumny to smear my boss, he also alleged that the Hon. Mutu played pranks in his age declaration. This is arrant nonsense. This is the true account. Hon Mutu’s father did his age declaration with his thumbprint. Coincidentally, his elder brother bears the same name as his father. While his father name was Agbede Mutu senior, his elder brother’s name is Agbede Mutu junior”

“Let Collins Eselemo also tell us the name of Hon. Mutu’s father since he now know him more better than his son. Let Collins Eselemo also tell us whether the thumbprint is that of Hon. Nicholas Mutu’s elder brother’s and whether his elder brother has the same thumbprint as his father. And we ask also, if it is possible for the elder brother to have the same thumbprint as his father? The answer is no.”

Consequently, Ogbomah urged the public to ignore the “rantings of Collins Eselemo on the personality of Hon. Nicholas Mutu, in the media”, adding that, “‘Eselemo is on the path of smear campaign against Hon. Mutu . A man that has not made any effort to prove his case in the tribunal but rather abandoned his petition and decided to go to the conventional press and social media to assassinate the character of Hon. Nicholas Mutu.”

“It is on record that Collins Eselemo was never a registered voter in Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency. He only transferred his PVC to Bomadi/Patani federal constituency few months to elections. He is very unpopular in the constituency and that largely accounted for his loss in the all the wards and almost in every polling units in the constituency.”

“Collins Eselemo should be advised to leave this trademark of blackmail, character assassination and smearing the good image of successful sons and daughters of Ijaw nation,” he added.