A former director of works at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, KwaraState, Iliya Philemon Hassan, has been sentences to nine months in jail by a State High Court in Ilorin, for parading forged certificates to gain employment.

The prosecution of the former director is the result of the collaboration between the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission ICPC and the ministry of Education aimed at cracking down on the use of fake certificates in the public service

The accused person had claimed in his curriculum vitae submitted to the registrar of the institution that he had a Master’s degree in Building Construction Technology from the Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria.

Suspected of making false claims, Hassan was brought to the ICPCwhere he made similar claim under oath, an offence punishable under section 25 of the ICPC Act 2000.

However, after thorough investigations were carried out, it was discovered that he had forged the certificate with which he had worked his way to the position of director.

He was then charged to court on a three count charge and was sent to jail by the court with a fine of N150,000 for each of the charges. His sentence is to run concurrently for three months.

The Chief Judge of the State, Justice J. Bamigbola, who presided over the case, passed the sentenced on June 25, 2013 after finding him guilty of all the charges.

The convicted is currently serving his jail term at the Madala Prison,Ilorin, Kwara State.