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The embattled Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, recently resigned his appointment following allegations of certificate forgery levelled against him. The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the resignation. He also added that the President had accepted the minister’s decision to step down.
Nnaji had been in the eye of the storm lately over his claims that he graduated from the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) with a B.Sc degree in Biochemistry/Microbiology in July 1985. He reportedly made the claim during his screening by the Senate for ministerial appointment in August 2023. He was also accused of having forged his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.
In the heat of the controversy, the UNN authorities disowned Nnaji and categorically stated that Nnaji never completed his studies and was never awarded a degree of the university. Similarly, the NYSC equally distanced itself from the certificate flaunted by the ex-minister, describing it as strange. Consequently, Nnaji resigned his ministerial appointment and explained that the decision to quit was taken to protect his integrity and prevent distractions to the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to him, his exit followed an orchestrated sustained campaign of falsehood, politically motivated, and malicious attacks targeted at his person and office. He maintained that his decision to quit was not an admission of guilt, but a move to uphold due process and respect the ongoing judicial proceedings.
Therefore, it is honourable that Nnaji stepped down. He can now have enough time to follow the ongoing judicial proceedings on the matter. Nigerians are already overwhelmed with rising inflation, youth unemployment, high cost of living and debilitating insecurity to be further distracted with Nnaji’s certificate scandal. Let the police and other relevant government agencies take up the matter and deal with it accordingly. Certificate forgery has become a recurring issue among some politicians in the country since the inception of the current political dispensation in 1999.
We recall that shortly after the inauguration of the Olusegun Obasanjo administration in 1999, there was reported allegation of certificate forgery against the first Speaker of the House of Representatives, Salisu Buhari. Initially, he dismissed it and threatened legal action against purveyors of the allegation. But following sustained reportage and the increasing dimension of the scandal, the Speaker, on July 22, 1999, pleaded guilty to the allegation and resigned and was prosecuted.
He was later convicted and was sentenced to two years in prison with an option of a fine. Buhari paid the fine and was later pardoned by President Obasanjo. A similar exposure led to the removal of former Senate President, Evan Enwerem, from office. Enwerem was accused of falsifying his age and academic qualifications. During the Muhammadu Buhari administration, the then Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, resigned over the presentation of a forged NYSC certificate.
Forgery, fraud and perjury are serious offences in Nigeria, according to Sections 362(a) and 366 of the Penal Code, Section 135 (1) of the Evidence Act (2011) and Section 467 of the Criminal Code. We urge public office seekers to desist from the act. Presenting fake certificates and credentials to gain admissions or secure appointments, is misleading and criminal. Each time such fraudulent practice is exposed, the nation’s reputation is dented. Security agencies and other relevant bodies should probe the allegations and ensure that those involved are prosecuted. And those found guilty should be given adequately sanctioned to deter others from doing so.
The discovery of the alleged discrepancies in Nnaji’s credentials over two years after his appointment is an indictment on the security agencies, especially the Department of State Security (DSS), the Senate leadership and other bodies that handled his screening before his inauguration as a minister. The inability of the security operatives to detect the alleged fraud in Nnaji’s claim till now amounts to failure of due diligence. The leadership of the various agencies saddled with background checks on potential appointees should avoid this error in the future.
The former minister’s saga is one too many in the sordid act. There must be proper and rigorous screening of prospective appointees and those seeking elections to avoid the national embarrassment from the scandal. Although Nnaji claimed that he resigned not because of guilt, we urge the security agencies to thoroughly investigate the matter. At the same time, Nnaji should be given the chance to defend himself. In all, the matter should not be swept under the carpet.
