By Obike Ukoh
What is happening now, with respect to the certificate controversy of former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, is reminiscent of Salisu Buhari’s 1999 scenario, which led to the latter’s ignominious exit as Speaker, House of Representatives.
Buhari was elected as Speaker of the Fourth Republic House of Representatives by his colleagues, but it was later discovered that he had made a false claim of attending the University of Toronto.
The university disowned him, Buhari admitted guilt and resigned, and the rest is now history.
In other words, Buhari procured the university degree and NYSC discharge certificates and presented them as officially issued.
But in the case of Nnaji, his entry date into the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), is not in doubt. The issue is whether “ He Was Found Worthy In Character and Learning,’’ and resultant issuance of a certificate.
Amid the controversy, Nnaji resigned while President Bola Tinubu accepted the resignation, according to Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Onanuga further quoted the former Minister as saying he had “been a target of blackmail by political opponents.”
The former minister later clarified that his resignation is not an admission of guilt but respect for due process.
The bone of contention in Nnaji’s case is that he did not complete his university education at UNN and that the bachelor’s degree and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates he submitted were forged.
Nnaji said that his resignation, followed by “deep reflection” and discussions with family and associates, and a “sustained campaign of falsehood and malicious attacks” against his character and integrity.
“These unfounded allegations and media distortions have not only caused personal distress, but have also begun to distract from the vital work of the ministry and the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President,” he said.
He said he had spent over five decades building a reputation anchored on “hard work, honour and service to humanity,” adding that “in the end, justice will prevail, and history will vindicate the just.”
So, unlike Buhari, Nnaji has not admitted guilt, while the issue is still subject to litigation between him and UNN, among others.
The UNN and NYSC are disputing that they issued the certificates that the former minister is parading.
However, the certificate scandal has generated mixed reactions, with opinions divided on the President’s acceptance of the resignation of the minister, without ordering for thorough investigation.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC), vehemently opposed Tinubu’s response to the ex-minister’s alleged forgery and demanded prosecution
The party said Tinubu’s decision to merely accept Nnaji’s resignation was “weak and disappointing”, insisting that allegations of forgery should attract legal consequences rather than a quiet exit from office.
In a statement, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, said the development raised questions about the government’s commitment to integrity and accountability.
“The ADC believes that the decision of President Tinubu to merely accept the offending former minister’s resignation, instead of taking a tougher stance, gives the unfortunate impression that the president is sympathetic to such behaviour,” the statement reads.
Abdullahi said the party was disappointed that Nnaji was allowed to resign quietly after admitting discrepancies in his credentials, adding that the situation could send the wrong message to Nigerians, especially young people, about accountability in public life.
He said both the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) had denied issuing the certificates presented by the former minister, noting that public confidence in governance depends on how such cases are handled.
According to the statement, simply accepting Nnaji’s resignation suggests leniency toward alleged misconduct in public office.
“In this regard, by simply accepting his resignation, President Tinubu has shown that, for whatever reason, his administration is willing to let corrupt officials off the hook easily,” Abdullahi said.
“Forgery is not a private offence; it is a crime. If found guilty, Mr Nnaji should be prosecuted in accordance with the law. Anything less will amount to a cover-up,” the statement added.
On his part, Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of Labour Party in the 2023 General Election, stressed that certificate forgery is a serious criminal offence in all countries of the world.
He said that it is one of the practices heavily punished.
Obi said that when he visited Indonesia recently with his team and asked the Chairman of the General Elections Commission, “how the country treats people who contest elections with forged certificates and false claims about the school attended,
“ He looked surprised and shocked and said that the offences attract immediate disqualification and prosecution,’’ adding that “ it is a criminal offence.’’
The former governor of Anambra State queried, “ If someone can forge a certificate, how can that person be trusted to lead others?
“ But in my country, though the laws are the same, INEC makes no effort to scrutinize certificates before elections, overlooks complaints of forgery and you challenge after the election, the court will dismiss the serious criminal issues, as a pre-election matter, without giving this criminal act appropriate punishment.’’
Obi also wondered how these dishonest people scale through all the scrutinizes: Security and parliamentary screening.
On his part, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, in a statement he personally signed, also called for a thorough investigation of the allegation.
Atiku questioned why the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam el Rufai would be disqualified by the DSS for security reasons and Nnaji, who forged his academic certificates, would pass the scrutiny of the DSS.
Atiku noted that the development has once again brought to light the deep moral crisis at the heart of the Tinubu administration.
‘’What should ordinarily be a matter of national shame is now being disguised as a voluntary resignation, an attempt to whitewash yet another scandal that typifies the forgery-ridden character of this government.
‘’Let the truth be told, Uche Nnaji should not have been allowed the courtesy of resignation. He should have been summarily dismissed and prosecuted for deceit and falsification.
“By permitting him to quietly exit through the back door, the Tinubu administration has once again demonstrated that it is an assembly of forgers, impostors and morally bankrupt individuals masquerading as public servants.’
‘’What makes this even more embarrassing is that the same Department of State Services (DSS) which screened out Mallam Nasir el-Rufai for alleged ‘security concerns’ is the very agency that cleared this same character, Uche Nnaji.’’
President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Afam Osigwe (SAN), who joined the call for investigation, described the allegations as “grave” and urged law enforcement agencies to act without delay.
“Before you talk about prosecuting Mr. Geoffrey Nnaji over the allegation of forging the certificate, there should first be an investigation carried out by the requisite law enforcement agency, in this case, maybe the police. And if that investigation confirms the allegation against him, then he should be prosecuted. But the matter should not just be swept under the carpet like that,” Osigwe said.
He stressed the importance of a transparent process, saying they raised grave allegations against him, that he presented forged certificates to make the president believe that he is a person who has a university degree and is qualified to be given such employment.
“This should be investigated to find out if indeed he presented forged certificates to the President, and to the National Assembly to procure his clearance as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he stated.
Osigwe maintained that resignation does not absolve anyone of potential criminal liability.
“If the allegations are established, then he should be prosecuted. This will also serve as an example to persons who may want to hold public office and who think they can pull the wool over the face of Nigerians, by obtaining such positions with forged credentials.
“The investigation should be transparent, and the findings of the investigation should be made public,” he said.
Former Chairman of Abuja Branch of NBA, Moses Ebute, (SAN), in his contribution, wondered whether the minister resigned to enable an investigation into the allegations or whether the allegations were true.
“If the former is the case, then he ought to be investigated and if it is the latter, he ought to be prosecuted”, he said,
“This will serve as a deterrent to others who are very desperate to occupy public office”.
He stressed that Nigeria cannot continue like this, in a nation where those who are truly educated cannot get employment in the public services or occupy public offices as well.’’
Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), on its part, called for a life ban on Nnaji from holding public office.
Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Ibrahim Musa, said that Nnaji was recalcitrant, hence should never be allowed to hold public office in his lifetime.
“He did not resign of his own volition; he was forced to resign, and he didn’t resign honorably.
“ He actually went to court to stop the university from releasing his record; he should be banned from holding public office for life,” Musa stated.
As Nigerians wait on how the Nnaji episode will end, analysts say it is the failure to do the right thing at the right time that usually results in this nocturnal and desperation to procure certificates.
Should the issuance of a certificate to a student who entered a university and duly graduated be subject of dispute or controversy?
