News making the rounds that the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Akwa Ibom State, Bishop Chris Nyong is parading himself with fake certificates has been found as total falsehood and misrepresentation of fact.
Reactions from members of the public, especially, the christian community as gathered by this reporter have condemned the said claim and have also described such allegation as malicious and damaging.
An independent investigation reveals that the claim by one Apostle Dr. Edward Akpan Umana that he sold fake Doctorate Degree certificate to the Chairman of CAN was a blackmail whose aim was to smear the character of Bishop Chris Nyoug.
The Pastor of Lifeline Covenant Church at Ikot Ataku in Okon Eket, Apostle Edward Umana was allegedly arrested by security operatives in Eket recently for indulging in racketeering of higher certificates to members of the public.
Apostle Umana and his co travelers when reporters asked to know how they operate the business of selling fake certificates from St Thomas-a-Becket University located in the City of Canterbury, England where the African Campus is at Ibeno Local Government Area to people, he, Umana mentioned the current state Chairman of CAN as one of his beneficiaries of his alleged illegal certificate racket.
He named prominent persons in the state, names withheld that are currently using fake Doctoral Degree certificates from the same University through his business arrangements.
When this reporter contacted the current Dean, Faculty of Management Sciences, Heritage Polytechnic, Eket, Mr Godwin William, he confirmed the authenticity of the Diploma certificates of Bishop Chris Nyoug.
He said, " I know Christian Essien Nyong as one of my former students, he did Mass Communication in Heritage Polytechnic for ND full time in 2009- 2011 with Reg. No. MAC/N 2009/078 and then finished and started HND in Mass Communication in 2015 - 2017 with Reg. 14156008, with specialty in Broadcast option".
Mr William who is the immediate past Head of Department, Mass Communication in the Heritage Polytechnic continues "but I also know about St Thomas-a-Becket stuff, the people came to give me Honorary Doctoral Degree, I did not collect it since I am in the academic. I told them, I want to read up to PhD before I receive any Honorary Degree. I know that they went and gave Honorary Degrees to many people in the state".
A former student of St. Thomas-a-Becket University, Akwa Ibom centre who gave his name as Udeme Bassey Utin said the University did not issue any certificate to any students because the institution did not last long for lack of sponsorship but added that he was aware that the Coordinators of the University programme over the years were awarding Honorary Degrees people in many fields of their endeavours within and outside the state.
He condemned the allegation leveled against the CAN Chairman in the state, saying it was a blackmail taken too far.
The CAN Chairman when contacted said he bagged Honorary Doctoral Degree awarded to him in 2015 with other noted men of God in the State by the St Thomas- a-Becket University.
According to him, "I have OND and HND in Mass Communication from the Heritage Polytechnic Eket, all my certificates are genuine and are verifiable, but l leave Apostle Umana to God"
" Upon all what I did for him, he chosed to pay me back this way by attempting to tarnish my hard earned image, but I give God the Glory", he concludes.
