Group Raises Concerns Over Academic Qualifications Of Reinstated Osun Council Chairman

A group of indigene of Ilesa West Council Area of Osun has demanded a probe into alleged discrepancies in the educational qualifications of the reinstated chairman of the council, Segun Olabode.

Olabode, popularly known as Shigo Papa, is alleged to have certificates with different names from primary school to his highest qualification, an Ordinary National Diploma.

The people of the LGA, under the auspices of The West Advocates (TWA), in a statement circulated on the streets of Ilesa metropolis, have called for immediate action on the alleged anomaly before it becomes a major scandal for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

TWA, in the statement signed by its convener, Mr. Gbenga Ashiyanbi.
also challenged the leadership of the APC in Ilesa West and Osun to investigate the allegations and act before the matter gets out of hand.

The statement said: “According to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, a public office holder can be disqualified for forgery.

“The case of the Bayelsa State Deputy Governor in 2020, who was disqualified for presenting forged certificates to the electoral umpire, is still fresh in our minds.

“We call on relevant stakeholders, as a matter of urgency, to investigate this matter. We also urge Mr. Segun Olabode to clear the air on the alleged certificate saga. Rather than allowing the matter to embarrass the APC, if the allegations are true, he should resign,” the statement partly read.

All efforts to get the reaction of the reinstated chairman proved abortive as his phone number was not available as of the time of filing this report.