Court orders private varsity to issue degrees to two ex-students

The Katsina State High Court has ruled that the management of Al-Qalam University, Katsina must issue Degree Certificates to two former students, Hauwa’u Sani Barda and Rabi’atu Sani Barda.

The sisters took the university to court for withholding their degree certificates and preventing them from participating in the National Youth Service, despite successfully graduating.

Presiding judge Justice Abbas Bawale stated that after reviewing all evidence presented by both the plaintiffs’ and the defendant’s counsels, the court concluded that Hauwa’u and Rabi’atu had indeed paid their tuition fees for four academic sessions.

The judge found the university’s defense lacking in merit and unable to prove that the students had not paid their tuition fees.

As a result, the court ordered Al-Qalam University to issue Degree Certificates to Hauwa’u Sani Barda and Rabi’atu Sani Barda, facilitate their participation in the National Youth Service, and compensate them with one million Naira each for the delay in their mobilisation for NYSC.

Katsina State High Court has directed the management of Al-Qalam University, Katsina, to award Degree Certificates to two of its former students, Hauwa’u Sani Barda and Rabi’atu Sani Barda.

The two sisters had dragged the institution before the State High Court over its decision to withhold their degree Certificates and mobilization for National Youth Service despite successfully graduating from the institution.

In his ruling, the presiding judge, Justice Abbas Bawale, said having studied all the evidences brought before it by the counsel to the plaintiffs and the objections by the counsel to the defendant, the court has determined that Hauwa’u and Rabi’atu had paid their tuition fees to the university for four academic sessions.

He said the defence presented by Al-Qalam University to the contrary lacked merit and could not prove beyond doubt that the students had not paid tuition fees to the defendant.

He therefore ordered the defendant to award Degree Certificates to Hauwa’u Sani Barda and Rabi’atu Sani Barda, mobilize them for National Youth Service and pay them one million Naira as compensation for delaying their mobilization for NYSC.

Addressing newsmen after the court ruling, counsel to the complainants, Barrister Muhammad Mukhtar Lawal described the ruling as a landmark victory for his clients.

He however explained that the ruling did not apply to Hafsat Sani Barda as the initial application by the counsel did not include evidence of her final semester result from the institution.

The court case was between Al-Qalam University Katsina and three of its former students, Hauwa’u Sani Barda, Rabi’atu Sani Barda and Hafsat Sani Barda whom the institution accused of owing it tuition fees for four academic sessions, a claim which the students have denied.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE