EKSU Graduates Losing Their Jobs Because of 2020 Kwara College Certificate Demand

Graduates of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado Ekiti, in affiliation with Kwara State College of Education, Oro, (KWCOED), have been stuck in limbo since 2020 due to an unexplained delay in getting their certificates.

From being denied promotion to the next level at their workplaces to losing job offers, the affected graduates have lost many opportunities because they couldn’t provide their degree certificates.

FIJ learnt that the graduates, after much pressure on the school, got statements of results in July 2023, with a caveat that it was only valid for one year. It’s been two months since the document expired, and four years since they graduated, but they still have not been able to obtain their degree certificates.

FIJ understands that these graduates enrolled at KWCOED for four-year courses under the EKSU Sandwich Degree programme in 2017 and graduated in September 2020.

This Sandwich Degree programme is a part-time programme that exempts enrolled students from the one-year mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme after graduation. They were to be issued NYSC certificates of exemption on getting their degree certificates from EKSU.“

We have been hoping to get both certificates since 2020 to no avail, and it is not as if we are owing them school fees,” one of the affected graduates, who asked not to be named, told FIJ.

“During the programme, we paid our school fees into different portals, one with the College of Education, and the other for EKSU. That’s how we paid for four years. Even when it was not convenient, we paid. But getting the certificate has been stressful.”

FIJ gathered that some of these students have already paid the N83,000 required for the certificates to be issued, yet there is no hope in sight.

“They are not even giving us cogent reasons why our certificates are not ready. Some of us went to EKSU in March when we learnt that the certificates would be ready then, but EKSU told them that it was not yet our turn and that they were attending to their students. What do they mean by that? We paid school fees to them and registered in their name, but they are saying we should come back for our certificates,” this graduate said.

“We have been asking questions, but no answers. We can’t even go further for Master’s degrees or PhD programmes. For me, to get a promotion is difficult. I want to leave my place of work, but I am unable to apply for jobs because I do not have a certificate!”

Three other affected ex-students, who also did not want to be named, expressed their frustration at the delayed certificates as they lamented the opportunities that had slipped away due to this issue.

“Initially, they told us that there was a delay because of COVID-19. But after the pandemic, they still didn’t issue our certificates. It recently denied me of getting a job offer from the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) of the State, where I reside. Same thing with my NYSC exemption letter,” the second ex-student told FIJ.

“We paid more than N85,000 for this certificate. They said they would send an email. Months ago, EKSU told us that it was still attending to regular students and that our certificates were not ready yet.”

One of them told FIJ: “In terms of employment offers, many of us could not tender our certificates or NYSC exemption letters for those opportunities. We have tried all we can to set up a meeting with the management of the college in Oro. Last year, they issued us statements of results after three years of graduation. And right now, the statements of results they issued have expired.

“Some of us have paid for the certificates, yet the management has not communicated with us. We are in darkness. Where on earth will students graduate from school without having any issues and not get certificates after four years? Some of us needed to use the certificates for promotion. It has denied many of us employment offers in private and government organisations.”

Another affected graduate shared how he lost an employment opportunity in 2021 because he could not tender his degree certificate six months into the job:

“After I had stayed six months and the certificate was still not forthcoming, my employers started asking questions. I showed them my transcript to prove that I did not have carryovers. I lost that job in 2021 over this certificate issue.

“It was even a tug of war before we got our statement of results in 2023. I secured another federal government job and ought to have presented my certificates, yet I am unable to do so. Will I still lose this job again?

“In all, both schools are at fault. Whether KWCOED is not doing the needful or EKSU is not capable. They should rectify this issue between each other because we are the victims.”

KWARA STATE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

On Tuesday, Dr Kadri Akogun, the director of the EKSU Sandwich Degree programme at KWCOED, told FIJ the delayed certificate was the graduates’ fault.

“The non-issuance of certificates is majorly on the students’ refusal to comply with the procedure, and what is demanded from them,” said Akogun.

He said: “EKSU has issued all certificates that were covered with the convocation procedures. Before that convocation came up, they issued a notice, which we affiliated schools put on the platforms of the affected students, that they should do what is tagged ‘profiling’. That profiling means, anywhere in the world, you can always visit the portal, put your details in the portal, with your passport, put in the inscription, and we forward it to all the candidates’ platforms.

“But on the day of convocation, we were told that many of the students failed to do the necessary things. For example, some of the students’ passport [photographs] did not show the two ears, and some of them used cosmetics and they could not be recognised. We were also told that about 5000 certificates were printed, but less than 200 was good. They now said they should go and do their profiling properly. That is what has been happening.”

When FIJ asked if that has been happening since 2020, Akogun said, “You know it’s not every year that they do convocation. EKSU said the senate approved that, henceforth, their certificates would carry their passports, unlike before. And some of them used symbols as their passports. EKSU said whoever will carry their certificates must behave responsibly.

“We have made several appeals, and EKSU said that any student who is certain that the profiling has been done should come for the certificates, but if the certificate is printed, and it is not good, they will pay for another certificate. That is all I can say. If you want to hear more information from me, you can come down to Oro. I will show you evidence of what we have posted to them, and our discussion with so many of them.”

However, the affected ex-students refuted these claims and noted that the link (https://eksuportal.eksu.edu.ng/students/index) to the portal for the said profiling procedure was only sent to them on April 22, 2024. And it was sent by a colleague, not the school.

FIJ learnt that the sender had told them the portal was for their “passport update”. They also said that they could not access the portal.

“The link worked for the main students there at Ekiti, but it didn’t work for us who are 2017 contact session.”

‘I’M NOT AWARE’ — HEAD OF EKSU’S DIRECTORATE OF INFORMATION

Bode Olofinmuagun, the head of EKSU’s Directorate of Information and Corporate Affairs, told FIJ on Tuesday that he was not aware of the delayed certificates issue.

“I am hearing this for the first time, so you will give me time to respond because I have to do my own investigation to know what is actually happening. I am not aware whether they have lodged complaints. You can call back before Friday,” said Olofinmuagun.