CHIDIMMA UCHEGBU
Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, disclosed, on Friday, that over 22,500 Nigerians are parading fake certificates obtained from Benin Republic and Togo between 2019 and 2023.
According to the Minister, over 21,600 obtained the certificates from unaccredited universities in Benin Republic within the time frame, while about 1,105 also obtained theirs at some unaccredited universities in Togo.
The minister disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja, to mark his first year anniversary stating that a circular is being prepared from the Office of Head of Service of the Federation that would enable government to fish out these people for due prosecution.
However, the Minister confirmed that some of the numbers were harvested from records from the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) and other sources.
Even within the countries, Benin and Togo, these universities are not accredited to offer degree programmes. I don’t know how Nigerians chose to go to unaccredited institutions abroad to ‘study’. Our investigations also indicated that many of the people never even attended the school physically.”
“Private sector operators are also encouraged to carry out further investigations on their staff who are parading foreign certificates, and ensure that anyone parading a certificate obtained from these countries between 2019 and 2023 are fished out and handed over to the Federal Ministry of Education for prosecution, because the circular from the Head of Service will also be binding on private sector operators,” he added.
“From all indications, the figure is higher than what we have already. This is because some of the people choose not to participate in the mandatory NYSC scheme and other engagements that would have enabled us to harvest their data,” he said.
“Sadly, these people have used the fake certificates to apply and secure job opportunities in government and private organizations with the mindset that they schooled abroad, while people who studied day and night are out there looking for job opportunities.
“Private sector operators are also encouraged to carry out further investigations on their staff who are parading foreign certificates, and ensure that anyone parading a certificate obtain from these countries between 2019 and 2023 are fished out and handed over to the Federal Ministry of Education for prosecution because the circular from the Head of Service will also be binding on private sector operators.”
Meanwhile, Prof. Mamman confirmed that only five Universities in Benin and three in Togo, were accredited to offer degree programmes, and people that passed through those schools are exempted from the punitive measures.
The minister also disclosed that about four million out-of-school children have been pulled off the streets back to the classrooms through several of its programmes majorly championed by the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-school Children.
He added: “Our target is to see about 3 million to 4 million children leave the streets and return the school annually, and if that is successfully achieved, then by the end of the administration, a significant achievements would have been made as regards the out-of-school children.
