A graduate of Benue State University, now Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University, has raised alarm over what he describes as “abrasive bureaucratic bottlenecks” that have prevented him from receiving his degree certificate seven years after graduation.
Smith Akoko, who earned a B.A. (Ed) in English from the university’s former Department of Curriculum and Teaching in 2018, says the institution has failed to issue him his certificate due to an error in the initial batch that misrepresented his qualification as “B.A. English” instead of “B.A. (Ed) English.”
Despite multiple complaints and written appeals to university authorities, including the current Vice Chancellor, Akoko says the issue remains unresolved. “It is seven years after graduation, yet my certificate remains unavailable,” he said in a statement made public on Thursday. “Ironically, it took the university less than 24 hours after a name change to design and erect new signboards across campus.”
Akoko, who has since earned a master’s degree and is pursuing a Ph.D. at another institution, said the absence of his undergraduate certificate is now a serious impediment to his career. “My current employer has asked for the certificate as a mandatory requirement for the confirmation of my appointment,” he lamented. “Without it, my future is in limbo.”
He also criticized the university’s priorities, questioning whether it is more difficult to reprint corrected certificates than to overhaul branding materials. “What’s easier and more cost-effective—printing a certificate or installing new signboards? My university has done the latter with impressive speed, but the former remains neglected.”
A recipient of the Head of Department’s Prize for Best Graduand, Akoko says his frustration lies not only in the delay but also in what he sees as administrative indifference. “If this is not gross inefficiency, what is? Perhaps what the university needs is staff retraining—not a name change,” he wrote.
Calling on civil society organizations, legal practitioners, and media influencers for intervention, Akoko fears becoming “a victim of institutional detachment and systemic failure” at the hands of the university he once proudly called his own.
University officials had not responded to requests for comment at the time of this report.
