General News of Tuesday, 8 February 2005

Source: Chronicle

Did the Tsunami sweep away Sheikh's certificates?

The incredibly shrinking alibi
I.C. QUAYE NOW PLEADS ?RAPID RESULTS?
? ...Errm...it was not Cambridge ?

Accra, (Chronicle) -- THE CONTROVERSY surrounding the source of Sheikh I. C. Quaye?s so called Diploma and Certificates in Journalism and Management Studies respectively has taken a new twist.

Rapid Results College

The Rapid Results College (RRC), the institution with which the Acting Greater Accra Regional Minister now claims he undertook the correspondence course, leading to the award of certificates, is reported to have charged the Parliamentary vetting committee, to ask the nominee to name the accredited board that awarded the Journalism and Management certificates to him.

The RRC took this position when Sheikh last week told the vetting committee that he undertook his correspondence course with the RRC and not with Cambridge, as originally stated.

Chronicle gathered that upon this new twist, the committee contacted the RRC to find out if indeed Sheikh Ibrahim Codjoe Quaye was a product of the college through the correspondence course.

The paper learnt that following the enquiry by the committee, the RRC came out last week to explain that even though it runs Correspondence Courses it does not award certificates to its students.

The RCC therefore directed the Vetting Committee to ask Sheikh I.C Quaye to name the Board that awarded him the Journalism and Management Diploma, for the committee to verify the authenticity of his claim.

With the challenge thrown by the RRC, and information from the Sheikh?s camp that a ?destruction destroyed? his certificates, the nominee?s chances of gaining approval for appointment seem to be narrowing.

Testimonial from ?OSSA? Headmistress

In his efforts to keep his post and become second time Regional Minister, Sheikh I.C Quaye is reported to have arranged with the headmistress of the Odorgonno Secondary School to write ?a wonderful? testimonial to the Vetting Committee.

A source close to the sub-committee of the Appointment?s Committee doing ?due diligence? on the three frozen nominees has hinted the paper that Sheikh was still claiming he could not identify the exact board that awarded his Diploma Certificates.

Even though he now seems to have recognized RRC as the institution where he undertook his correspondence course, he could not recollect the board that awarded him the certificates.

Sheikh?s 2001 CV

In 2001 Sheikh Quaye indicated on his CV to the then Appointments Committee of Parliament, that he was a holder of a Diploma in Management and Journalism, issued by Cambridge.

Additionally, he stated that he was a professional banker from The Institute of Bankers, London. On that same CV the Acting Regional Minister claimed he was also a product of the Institute of Management Studies, London.

Surprisingly when he appeared before the parliamentary Appointments Committee last week, he dropped his claim that he was a banker when questioned and it was pointed out to him that working at a bank did not make one a banker.

He had given his reason for being a banker as having once worked at the West Africa Bank and in the process had enrolled for a correspondence course in banking, but had to abandon it when he was arrested and detained.

It emerged that since he could not complete the course, it was wrong for him to be holding himself up as a banker. During the vetting, the Sheikh had indicated that he obtained the diploma through a correspondence course.
Displaying Cambridge under his qualifications, the Sheikh hoodwinked every one into believing that he secured his certificates from the renowned institution but he surprisingly beat a fast retreat last week, and told the Appointments sub-committee that he rather undertook the course with RRC.

Sheikh Challenges Chronicle over CV

In an exclusive interview with the Chronicle in April, last year over this same CV, Sheikh challenged this reporter to contact the institutions he listed on his CV and verify if the certificates he was holding were not awarded by them.
Unknown to him, however, even before that challenge the paper?s investigations at Cambridge had revealed the institution had no records on the Sheikh. He was unknown to them!
?The stage is now set for Sheikh to furnish us with the name of the board that awarded him with the certificates and stop creating the impression that Tsunami has swept all his certificates away,? a member of the vetting committee told the paper.