By Ngozi Nwankwo
Tough time awaits Civil Servants who are parading fake certificates obtained from Benin Republic and Togo between.
Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman disclosed this while briefing the Press on all the recent activities and programmes of the Ministry in the past one year at the headquarters.
Mamman said that Federal Government has issued a circular to dish out Civil Servants parading with these certificates from unaccredited universities from the two countries.
He said that over 21, 600 obtained the certificates from an unaccredited universities in Benin Republic within the time frame, while about 1,105 also obtained theirs at some unaccredited Universities in Togo.
According to the Minister, the figure of those with fake certificates was obtained the National Youth Service Corp,NYSC, records.
“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.
“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.
“Even within the countries, Benin and Togo, these universities are not accreditation to offer degree programme. 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,” said Minister.
He further said, “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.”
Mamman hinted 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 disclosed the mission of the FG was to use education as a tool for fostering development of all Nigerian citizens to their full potential in the promotion of a strong, democratic, egalitarian, prosperous, indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation under God.
While thanking Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for finding him worthy to serve as a Minister of Education, Mamman maintained that education sector has achieved many milestones in the last one year in the office.
He said the Ministry of Education has developed a Roadmap for the Nigerian Education Sector (2024-2027).