By Sola Ojewusi
Jos, Plateau State — A senior academic and alumnus of the Faculty of Law, University of Jos, Dr. John B. Mahwel, has strongly dismissed allegations made by former Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Solomon Dalung, against Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, describing the claims as false, politically motivated, and “arrant nonsense.”
In a detailed public statement titled “On the Issue of Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN and Hon. Solomon Dalung: An Insider’s Account,” Dr. Mahwel, a product of the University of Jos where he obtained his Diploma in Law, LL.B, LL.M, and PhD, said he felt compelled to intervene in order to “set the record straight” on matters affecting the integrity of his alma mater and the 2009 graduating class of the Faculty of Law.
Mahwel, who identified himself as a member of the 2009 set and a former colleague of Prof. Amupitan, said the allegations by Dalung against the legal scholar and current electoral administrator were not only misleading but an unfair attempt to tarnish a reputation built over decades of distinguished service.
According to him, Prof. Amupitan remains one of the most respected figures to have emerged from the University of Jos Faculty of Law, having served in several high-profile academic and administrative capacities, including Head of Department, Dean, member of the Council of Legal Education, Governing Council member, Pro-Chancellor, and Deputy Vice Chancellor.
“Professor Amupitan is a man of integrity and one of the best Deans to have served in the Faculty of Law,” Mahwel stated, insisting that any contrary portrayal was “false, misleading and unacceptable.”
He disclosed that as a student, he was taught Law of Evidence by Prof. Amupitan and later had the privilege of teaching the same course alongside him for about 13 years. Mahwel further recounted how Amupitan personally recognized his academic excellence and took steps to support his appointment into the faculty strictly on merit.
In what appears to be a direct response to Dalung’s allegations regarding the controversial 2009 law results, Mahwel offered an insider’s account of the incident, explaining that the issue stemmed from irregularities in the manual marking and electronic processing of results at the time.
He said the discrepancies were discovered by lecturers themselves and reported to the then Dean, Prof. Amupitan, who promptly ordered an investigation.
“The investigation confirmed that some students had indeed been awarded unmerited grades,” Mahwel said, adding that the faculty subsequently corrected the affected results and restored the original scores.
He stressed that the exercise was a broad sanitisation process that affected students across all classifications, including Second Class Upper, Second Class Lower, and Third Class divisions, with some students even unable to graduate with the 2009 set as a result.
Rather than indicting Amupitan, Mahwel argued that the episode should be seen as evidence of courageous and principled leadership.
“This development should be seen as a demonstration of institutional integrity and a Faculty leadership committed to upholding standards rather than condoning irregularities,” he said.
Mahwel also challenged Dalung’s claims concerning an alleged serving Deputy Inspector General of Police who purportedly graduated with a Second Class Upper degree in the same class, stating categorically that no such person existed in the 2009 graduating set to the best of his knowledge.
On Dalung’s claim of having been frustrated academically, Mahwel dismissed the allegation, noting that Prof. Amupitan was not Dean at the time the former minister was pursuing his Master’s degree and therefore could not have exercised any such authority.
He further noted that no Dean possesses unilateral powers to victimise students, as academic decisions are subject to collective institutional processes and checks.
While acknowledging the stature of both men as distinguished alumni and former staff of the institution, Mahwel urged Dalung to exercise restraint in making politically charged public statements, particularly in the present national climate.
“In my humble opinion, Hon. Solomon Dalung went too far in his attack on the integrity of Prof. Amupitan,” he said.
He warned against what he described as the dangerous politicisation of personal grievances, especially when such narratives risk misleading the public and undermining confidence in public institutions.
Observers say the statement has added a new dimension to the growing public debate surrounding recent comments made by the former minister, with many now calling for issues of academic history and public service records to be handled with greater responsibility.
Mahwel concluded by appealing to the public to be guided by facts and verifiable records, insisting that the reputation of the University of Jos and its distinguished alumni must not be sacrificed on the altar of partisan politics.
“Honourable Dalung should play politics with sense and avoid dragging the name of a man widely known for integrity through the mud,” the statement implied.
He ended with a call for national unity and institutional respect, saying, “May God bless Nigeria.”
