*Mbah Denies Any Link
*ADC Slams Tinubu Over Silence
*Urges Senate, DSS To Accept Vicarious Liability
THE controversy over the academic qualifications of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, escalated on Monday, October 6, following the allegation by his media aide, Robert Ngwu, that Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, was sponsoring a smear campaign against his principal.
At a press conference in Abuja, Ngwu described as politically motivated, allegations that Nnaji forged his university and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates, insisting: “All these sponsored events are being coordinated by Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State.
“The governor has given a new name to all his problems, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji.”
Ngwu claimed that UNN had withheld Nnaji’s academic transcript, despite a court order to release it, saying: “We have information that the minister’s file was kept under lock and key in the Vice Chancellor’s office.
“Why would the file of a serving minister of the Federal Republic be sitting in your office?”
He also spoke about name inconsistencies, arguing that in Igbo culture, the names Uchenna and Uchechukwu are interchangeable and essentially mean the same thing.
However, Mbah, while denying any involvement in the saga, urged Nnaji to take responsibility for his own actions and “carry your cross,” insisting his administration had no connection with the minister’s current travail.
The Director of Information, Chukwuemeka Nebo, dismissed any link between the government and the matter, saying: “The Enugu State Government dissociates itself completely from these allegations.
“The honourable minister must carry his own cross and clear his name before Nigerians, instead of dragging the government into issues that are entirely personal to him.
“A large number of Nigerian and international journalists reportedly gathered on the minister’s invitation to hear directly from him. But rather than appear before them to answer questions and establish his innocence, the minister absconded, leaving behind proxies who could not withstand the barrage of legitimate questions from journalists.
“Who can narrate Nnaji’s UNN story better than him? Why invite the media, only to outsource the conference? Why send third parties, who lack the answers to critical questions, if he truly has nothing to hide?”
Nebo further queried: “Did he, for his screening, present a purported degree certificate to the senate, showing that he graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in July 1985?
“Is it true that he deposed in a Federal High Court filing in Abuja that he was not issued any degree certificate by UNN, and, if so, how did he come about the degree certificate he presented to the senate?
“Is it also true that while he claims to have graduated in July 1985, he applied to the university to retake Virology (Course code: MCB 431) in the September 1985 Supplementary Examination, having failed the course?
“Is it also true that the university, in a November 8, 1985, letter, informed Uche Nnaji that he again failed Virology (Course code: MCB 431) in the Supplementary Examinations, but could register to retake the course in the June 1986 examinations, provided he paid an examination fee of N4.00 (Four naira)?
“Is it true that on January 3, 1986, he again applied to retake the Virology (Course code: MCB 431) examination in June 1986, stating in his letter that the receipt for the payment of the N4.00 (Four Naira) resit fee had been attached?”
Nebo added: “Is it true that while he claims to be in possession of a university degree, he only submitted his Secondary School WASC Certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission for his participation in the 2023 governorship election?
“Why did Uche Nnaji’s proxy state at the Abuja press conference that the minister ‘graduated,’ while avoiding stating categorically that he was issued a degree certificate?
“Did he also present a purported NYSC discharge certificate showing that he commenced his national service in April 1985, three months before his supposed graduation, and served until July 1986, an unusual duration of 13 months, instead of the usual 12 months of national service?
“Whereas the CEO of the NYSC at the time he claimed to have undergone the national service was Col. Edet Akpan (January 1984 to December 1987), Uche Nnaji’s NYSC discharge certificate was signed by Col. Animashaun Braimoh, who was NYSC CEO from January 1988 to December 1990.
“Is it true that NYSC certificates issued up till October 1990 had six-digit numbering devoid of alphabetic characters, but Uche Nnaji’s discharge certificate, supposedly issued in 1986, was numbered A231309, which includes the alphabet ‘A.’
“Is it a fact that he deposed to an affidavit in the suit he filed in court that UNN did not issue him any certificate? And if that is the case, Nigerians want to know how he came about the certificate he submitted to the senate of his own free will in 2023.
“These are the clarifications Nigerians earnestly yearn for, and Chief Uche Nnaji is urged to brave up to clear his name, if he is truly innocent, rather than trading blames.”
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) said it was dismayed, but not surprised, at President Bola Tinubu’s silence and reluctance to sanction Nnaji amid the controversy.
The party’s spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement on Monday, said ADC was not surprised that Tinubu continues to retain Nnaji, despite the overwhelming evidence indicting the minister, describing the Tinubu government’s silence as proof of its ample tolerance for corruption of all kinds.
ADC said it’s a great disservice to the country, which has many qualified citizens of competence and integrity, to have at the head of a ministry meant to drive innovation, “a man tainted with such dubious credentials.”
The party stated: “We note that this is not an isolated case, as the APC government has had a long, public and familiar record of certificate-related scandals and questionable academic claims among top officials.
“These recurring scandals and the persistent stench of certificate forgery are indeed reflective of a party that is foundationally accommodating of deceit and clearly unbothered by basic ethical considerations.
“Credible public reports have revealed that both the UNN and NYSC have officially disowned the certificates Nnaji submitted for his ministerial appointment.
“Even more disturbing are his own court filings, admitting that UNN never issued him any degree certificate.
“At this point, the question that every Nigerian is asking is simple: ‘If the minister is not honourable enough to resign, why is the Tinubu administration still keeping him in office?’
“By refusing to act, the Tinubu government and the APC are admitting their complicity in such fraudulent conduct at the highest levels of their government and making a mockery of their claims to fighting corruption.
“On our part, the ADC believes that the very credibility of any governance begins with the integrity of the people elected or appointed to run it. Nigerians cannot be expected to trust a government that is populated by people who have lied under oath about their qualifications.
“In this particular instance, a ministry whose mandate is to drive innovation, research and the advancement of knowledge is now tainted by the dubious credentials of the man that Tinubu has found fit to serve.
“This is deeply unfortunate, but also reflective of the moral compass of this APC government and its scant regard for both integrity and knowledge acquisition.
“Our country is blessed with competent and qualified minds in all fields of human endeavour, both at home and across the world, brilliant minds who have earned their place through hard work, integrity and excellence.
“Yet, this APC government could only find suitable for appointment to such a strategic ministry, or any ministry at all, a man whose claim to higher education has now been brought to question.”
The party called for Nnaji’s immediate suspension, pending a full independent investigation, adding that if found guilty, he should not only be dismissed with ignominy, but also face prosecution for forgery and perjury.
The ADC stressed that certificate forgery is a crime, not a clerical error, and if proven, must attract the full weight of the law, adding: “The longer the Tinubu government delays action, the clearer it becomes that integrity and accountability have no place in its leadership consideration.
“Both the Senate and DSS that undertake the responsibility of vetting nominees into high positions in government must also accept vicarious liability and seize this as an invitation to review their vetting process.
“A Senate that has obliged itself unreservedly to the will of the President is liable to fail in its duty to the people.”
Recall that the scandal followed an investigative report by Premium Times, which alleged that Nnaji submitted forged academic and NYSC certificates during his ministerial screening in 2023, with his alma mater, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) disowning the certificate in question.
While confirming that Nnaji was admitted in 1981, the institution stated, however, that he did not complete his studies and was never awarded a degree.
In a Freedom of Information (FOI) response dated October 2, the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, stated: “From our records, we cannot confirm that Mr. Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji graduated from the University of Nigeria in July 1985. There are no records showing that he completed his studies.”
This was contrary to an earlier letter from the university’s Registrar, Celine Nnebedum, who had in December 2023, confirmed Nnaji’s graduation, but later, in May this year, told the Public Complaints Commission that the minister’s name was missing from the 1985 graduation list.
Last month, Nnaji filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja against the Minister of Education; National Universities Commission (NUC); UNN; and its vice chancellor, seeking to restrain the university from tampering with his records.
At the hearing on Monday, October 6, Nnaji’s legal team, led by Sebastian Hon (SAN), accused sections of the media of damaging his client’s reputation while the matter remains sub judice.
But UNN’s Counsel, E.M. Asogwa, insisted that the university had acted within the law.
The Minister of Education and NUC were not represented in court.
