Photo: Prof Utomi
By Mandy Park
Political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, has faulted suggestions that embattled Prof. Anthony Kila never attended school, describing such claims as “spectacularly stupid”.
Utomi, who described Kila as an intelligent and good man, said although he could not vouch for the professor’s academic records or guarantee that he had never made mistakes, it was unfair to dismiss his educational background without sufficient evidence.
The political economist stated this in a post on his verified Facebook page on Saturday while reacting to the controversy surrounding Kila’s academic qualifications.
Kila has been at the centre of a controversy following an investigative report published by Premium Times in October, which alleged that he falsified his higher educational qualifications, including his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctorate and professorial rank.
Reacting to the allegations, Utomi said he had known Kila for years but had never had any reason to investigate his certificates or letters of appointment.
“I know Anthony Kila. I became aware of all the trending discussions about his career rather late.
“I have never had any reason to ask about his certificates or letters of appointment, so I cannot claim to have those details.
“However, if he has never gone to school, then those who have must ask for a refund,” he said.
Utomi recalled meeting Kila in Cambridge, England, in 2006, when he was preparing to contest the presidential election in Nigeria.
He also warned against the dangers of online attacks and public condemnation, citing the experience of Jason Arday, a Black academic who became a professor at the University of Cambridge.
According to Utomi, Arday faced intense online criticism, including attacks from some academics, despite what he described as the tendency to excuse more serious mistakes by others.
He expressed concern that individuals could be subjected to damaging public accusations before the facts were properly established.
Utomi also questioned the motives of those attacking Kila, noting that Nigeria had become a society where people sometimes assumed academic and non-academic titles, while the media could confer celebrity status on them.
He, however, said his concerns were informed partly by his own experience of being subjected to questions about his professional and academic credentials.
The political economist recalled offering a ₦12m reward to anyone who could provide evidence to substantiate a journalist’s claim that his tenure at Volkswagen Nigeria contributed to the company’s decline.
According to him, nobody had come forward to claim the reward 15 years after the offer.
Utomi also recounted the scepticism he faced when he became the first professor of Pan-African studies at the Pan-Atlantic University, formerly associated with the Lagos Business School.
He said his academic background and professional standing could have been unfairly questioned had some respected academics not been familiar with his educational experience and scholarly work.
Among those he cited were Prof. Adele Jinadu, a political scientist, and Prof. Joe Umo of the University of Lagos, who, according to him, had encountered him during his postgraduate studies abroad.
Utomi also mentioned Elinor Ostrom, his former head of department, who later became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.
He maintained that public figures should not be subjected to damaging allegations without adequate evidence, even while acknowledging that they, like everyone else, could make mistakes.
“Kila is a smart and good man. I cannot guarantee he has not made mistakes but to suggest he has not gone to school is spectacularly stupid,” Utomi added.
