By Bassey Nkponam
UYO
A socio-political organisation under the aegis of Akwa Ibom Unity Forum, has retracted the allegation of “cover-up” levelled against the vice chancellor of the University of Uyo, Professor Nyaudo Ndaeyo.
Recall that the forum had on May 10, 2023 submitted a petition to the National Universities Commission (NUC) titled, “Petition Against a Grand Cover-Up by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, on a Case of Forgery and Manipulation of Academic Records”, accusing Professor Ndaeyo of a cover-up in a purported certificate forgery case they alleged, involved the then PDP governorship candidate, Pastor Umo Eno.
The forum which openly tendered their apology to Professor Ndaeyo Tuesday, at a press conference which took place at Aka Etinan Road, Uyo, described the allegations contained in the petition dated May 10, 2023, as misinformation which they mistakenly believed to be credible at the time.
In a statement read at the event by the director-general, Akwa Ibom Unity Forum, Mr Uko Idiong, as was jointly signed by him, the secretary general, Mr Aniedi Iwok, and chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT), Mr Charles Ndanyongmong, tagged, “Retraction and apology for the allegations against the vice chancellor of the University of Uyo”, the forum noted that after a thorough review of the facts, it has come to realize that the claims made in the petition were not only unfounded but completely false.
It regretted deeply the distress, embarrassment and damage caused to the reputation, integrity and character of Professor Nyaudo Ndaeyo, while equally acknowledging the harm caused to the University of Uyo as an institution, as well as the pain and disruption the baseless petition has caused to its community.
The forum also apologized to other stakeholders and agencies who may have been misled by the allegations, including the Federal Ministry of Education, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, and the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities.
It noted that as a responsible organisation, it has learnt a vital lesson from the unfortunate episode, assuring that going forward, it would ensure that all information disseminated or petitions submitted by it were thoroughly verified and based on irrefutable evidence.
According to the release, the forum said it took full responsibility for the distress caused by its actions and offered its assurances that the experience had strengthened its commitment to uphold the highest standards of integrity, fairness and accountability in all its future engagements.
The Akwa Ibom Unity Forum as indicated in the release thanked the National Universities Commission and other stakeholders for their understanding and patience in addressing the matter and expressed hope that the retraction would serve as a reminder of the importance of truth, fairness and caution in public discourse.
The statement reads thus, “I stand before you today with a deep sense of regret and responsibility to address an issue of significant public concern.
“On May 10, 2023, our organisation submitted a petition to the National Universities Commission titled, ‘Petition Against a Grand Cover-Up by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, on a Case of Forgery and Manipulation of Academic Records’.
“In the petition, we accused the vice chancellor of the University of Uyo, Professor Nyaudo Ndaeyo, of attempting to suppress and erase records of the expulsion of Mr. Umo Bassey Eno, a former student of the university, who we alleged had been expelled in 2005 for using a forged West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate to gain admission.
“We claimed in the petition that the vice chancellor was engaged in a deliberate cover-up to obliterate official records of the expulsion to shield Mr. Umo Bassey Eno from scrutiny, as the matter was connected to ongoing litigation at the Akwa Ibom State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
“However, after a thorough review of the facts, we have come to realize that the claims made in our petition were not only unfounded but also completely false.
Our Regret and Apology
“We deeply regret the distress, embarrassment and damage caused to the reputation, integrity, and character of Professor Nyaudoh Ndaeyo, the vice chancellor of the University of Uyo.
“We equally acknowledge the harm caused to the University of Uyo as an institution, as well as the pain and disruption this baseless petition has caused to its community.
Retraction of Petition
“We categorically retract the petition dated May 10, 2023, in its entirety. The allegations it contained were based on misinformation, which we mistakenly believed to be credible at the time.
Apology to Stakeholders
“We sincerely apologize to Professor Nyaudoh Ndaeyo for the damage this petition may have caused to his reputation and his esteemed position as vice chancellor.
“We extend our unreserved apologies to the National Universities Commission for being drawn into this matter based on false information.
“Our apologies also go to other stakeholders and agencies who may have been misled by the allegations, including the Federal Ministry of Education, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, and the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities.
A Commitment to Truth and Accountability
“As a responsible organisation, we have learned a vital lesson from this unfortunate episode. Going forward, we will ensure that all information disseminated or petitions submitted by us are thoroughly verified and based on irrefutable evidence.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is with humility and a sense of responsibility that we issue this public retraction and apology. We take full responsibility for the distress caused by our actions and offer our assurances that this experience has strengthened our commitment to uphold the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and accountability in all our future engagements.
“Once again, we express our deepest apologies to Professor Nyaudoh Ndaeyo and the entire University of Uyo community. We also thank the National Universities Commission and other stakeholders for their understanding and patience in addressing this matter.
“Thank you for your attention, and may this retraction serve as a reminder of the importance of truth, fairness and caution in public discourse”.
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