DELTA GUBER: Onyeme Was Dismissed For ‘Forgery’, SDP Sole Witness, Gbagi Tells Tribunal

Facts have emerged why the Deputy Governor of Delta State, Sir Monday Onyeme was dismissed from the services of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

Onyeme, worked as Bursar at NOUN, but was dismissed after a Panel of Enquiry set up by the former Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi FNIM, OON, found him wanting of ‘forgery’.

Gbagi, a sole witness and Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the March 18th governorship election in the State told the tribunal during cross examination.

Onyeme, is the 4th Respondent in Gbagi’s petition before the three-man Justices presided over by Justice H C. Ahuchaogu at the loo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba, the State capital.

Gbagi, a renowned Criminologist, who was cross examined by the counsels to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Respondents, told the tribunal that as a former minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he presided over the Panel that dismissed Onyeme.

According to him, “I was a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the 4th Respondent, was my staff at best.

“I was never a staff of the registry, the 4th Respondent was a staff under me.

“I can tell that for forgery and records that are being kept, I presided over the Panel as the minister of the federal Republic of Nigeria, in his dismissal.

“I constituted the panel. The 4th Respondent appeared before my panel.

“The 4th Respondent has several incursions into our lives as a people.

“After he left the National Open University, he came here as a tax collector.

“Apart from the dismissal, there is an administrative Enquiry that enquired into his finances and the dismissal, is part of it.

“We terminated his engagement, the reason for him to have abruptly left the University services”.

Gbagi, told the tribunal that he relied on all documents at his disposal, “Whatever I have in evidence, I rely on them”, he insisted.

It would be recall that in Gbagi’s 79 page petition, the Petitioner averred that the “4th Respondent, was dismissed from the employment of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

“The 4th Respondent failed to disclose the fact of his dismissal in his Affidavit Form EC9 deposed to on 29th day of July 2022.

“That the 4th Respondent failed to declare the primary school he attended, neither did he exhibit a certificate to that effect.

“His failure to exhibit the certificate is because of the challenge that, if exhibited, it will not be favorable to him”.

The former Chairman, Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, is seeking the tribunal to disqualify Onyeme.