Monrovia — The ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) has selected Kokulo S. Borvor as its candidate for Montserrado County District#2 in the upcoming legislative and general elections on October 10, 2023. Borvor, a former academic fraudster, emerged as the party's choice after defeating the incumbent Representative, Jimmy Smith, in Sunday's primary by a wide margin of 382 to 21 votes.
Borvor's questionable academic history dates back to 2016 when he was expelled from the African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU) for illicitly securing a place on the graduation list without fulfilling the necessary coursework. In 2017, he applied for a position as Controller General at the Ministry of Justice using counterfeit credentials, falsely claiming to hold a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from AME University and presenting himself as a Master's degree candidate. Despite lacking any supporting documents, Borvor was hired by the CDC-led administration and worked successively at the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency and the Ministry of Justice.
Subsequently, the Daily Observer Newspaper conducted an investigation that uncovered Borvor's use of fake credentials. In response, the Ministry of Justice demanded his resignation or threatened legal action. Borvor resigned and resurfaced months later at AMEZU's 30th commencement convocation on April 22, 2021, where he was conferred a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. However, the university later revoked his degree, along with 14 others, during a press conference on June 16, 2021. President Benjamin Lartey of AMEZU declared that Borvor had never been a student of the Criminal Justice College, and the revocation was based on an extensive month-long investigation prompted by the issuance of more diploma covers than there were eligible graduates.
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Moreover, Borvor took charge of 'The Big Sam Academy International School System,' which is operated by Tower of Praise Prophetic Deliverance Ministry, led by his wife, Krubo Borvor. Following these events, Borvor remained out of the public eye until his recent emergence in the CDC's primary, where he secured an overwhelming victory to become the party's candidate.
Martin K.N. Kollie, a social media advocate known for his stance against academic fraud, emphasized the need for a collective effort in combatting this issue. Kollie called for not only the revocation of degrees but also the prosecution of those involved, stating that academic crime undermines the state and should be met with the full force of the law. He expressed concerns about the presence of academic fraudsters in the legislature, citing a recent case at the Lewis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia, as evidence of a broader problem within the academic system.
Former Chief Justice Frances Johnson-Allison and Assistant Professor of Applied Legal Studies II, Cllr. Lucia Sonii-Gbala, both resigned from the Lewis Arthur Grimes School of Law due to the administration's alleged tolerance for academic fraud and the manipulation of failing grades.
Kollie called upon all citizens to unite against academic fraudsters, stressing that an education system devoid of excellence has no future. He expressed concern about the impact of these individuals on the education of future generations and the formulation of laws.
