A ministerial nominee, Prof Joseph Utsev, has become a subject of controversy in the Senate due to the age he reportedly started primary school, as indicated in his Curriculum Vitae (CV).
Senator Mikhail Abiru from Lagos State drew attention to the CV of the nominee during the Senate’s proceedings. According to the CV, Prof Utsev was born in 1980, but it stated that he started primary school in 1984 and completed his primary education in 1989, at the age of three.
In response to the inquiry, Prof Utsev defended the accuracy of his CV, asserting that he was indeed born in 1980 and completed his primary education in 1989 as the best student.
Additionally, Prof Utsev disclosed his educational achievements, highlighting that he graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Water Engineering from the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, after obtaining his first leaving school certificate in 1989.
Moreover, he holds the position of the pioneer rector of the recently established Benue State Polytechnic, which commenced its first session in 2020.
Senator Abiru sought clarification on the dates mentioned in Prof Utsev’s educational qualifications, suggesting that there might be discrepancies in the records.
In response, Senator Abba Moro from Benue State appealed to his colleagues to consider the possibility of typographical errors in the CV, urging them to disregard any confusion related to the dates in the nominee’s educational qualifications.
“Looking at the resume that we have, the discrepancies that we have may have necessarily come from typographical error. I want to say at this point, records don’t lie and if you look at what we have there and explain the action that he has given. I think we should give him the benefit of doubt.
“I have a point that I want to make here. I want to say that I come from a part of Benue state that is a minority. I want to appeal to my colleagues to approve the nominations of my professor from Benue state,” he said.
But Titus Zam, another Benue senator, disagreed with Moro’s submission, saying that there was no discrepancy in the academic records of the nominee.
“I am from Benue and the nominee is from my constituency,” he said.
At this point, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said he would not entertain any question pertaining to the date in the academic records of the Benue nominee after Abba Moro approached him.
“I will not want to entertain anything on the issue of when he entered school again. Senator Abba Moro just pointed my attention to an important issue which the nominee will clarify,” Akpabio said.
In a move to bury the issue, Senator Elisha Abbo (APC, Adamawa) said the nominee is exceptionally brilliant like himself for starting primary school at the age of three.
“The nominee is exceptionally brilliant like me. I took the entrance exam at the age of three and I won (sic),” he said.
The Benue nominee was asked to take a bow and go after speaking briefly on how he would turn things around in the environment sector, without saying anything on his academic records.