Gwamcee News
The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced an expansion of its suspension of accreditation and evaluation of degree certificates beyond Benin Republic and Togo to other African countries like Uganda, Kenya, and the Niger Republic.
The minister of education,Tahir Mamman, made the disclosure on Channels Television on Wednesday.
This development follows an undercover investigation by Umar Audu, who bagged a degree in Mass Communication from ESGT, a Benin university in Cotonou, within six weeks and participated in the mandatory one-year scheme organised by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
The Federal Government thereafter announced the suspension of evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from the Republics of Benin and Togo.
“We are not going to stop at just Benin and Togo. We are going to extend the dragnet to countries like Uganda, Kenya, even Niger here where such institutions have been set up,” Mamman said.
Mamman noted that he has no sympathy for the students who patronise such institutions, labelling them criminals who should be arrested.
The minister added that security agents will go after those with fake certificates from foreign countries who are already using them to secure opportunities in Nigeria.
“If, along the line, we can trace that there are people already in the system,. For instance, if a particular institution or operator has been operating, say in the last 10 years, we will check if we can get records of Nigerians who attended that institution.
“Once we do that, they are criminals and you know there is no timeframe to criminality. We will trace them. As long as we can lay our hands on their institutions and they are right here with us, certainly, the security agencies will go after them because they are criminals.”
Earlier on Tuesday, the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education announced the suspension of accreditation of degree certificates from Benin Republic and Togo.
The statement that was released on Tuesday and signed by Augustina Obilor-Duru on behalf of the Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, said, the government lamented that “some Nigerians deploy nefarious means and unconscionable methods to get a Degree with the end objective of getting graduate job opportunities for which they are not qualified”.
It followed an investigative report by Daily Nigerian Newspaper titled “How Daily Nigerian reporter bagged Cotonou varsity degree in 6 weeks”.
According to the government, the suspension persists pending the outcome of an investigation involving the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education of Nigeria and the two countries as well as the Department of State Security Services and the National Youths Service Corps.
The statement reads, “ The Federal Ministry of Education vehemently decries such acts and with effect from 2nd January 2024 is suspending evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from Benin and Togo Republics pending the outcome of an investigation that would involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria and the two countries, the ministries responsible for Education in the two countries as well the Department of State Security Services and the National Youths Service Corps.
“The Ministry therefore wish to call on the General Public to support its efforts, show understanding and provide useful information that will assist the Committee in finding lasting solutions in order to prevent further occurrence.
“The Ministry has also commenced internal administrative processes to determine the culpability or otherwise of her staff for which applicable Public Service Rules would be applied.
“The issue of degree mills institutions, i.e institutions that exist on paper or operate in clandestine manner outside the control of regulators is a global problem that all countries grapple with. FME has been contending with the problem including illegal institutions located abroad or at home preying on unsuspecting, innocent Nigerians and some desperate Nigerians who deliberately patronize such outlets. Periodically, warnings have been issued by the Ministry and NUC against the resort to such institutions and in some instances, reports made to security agencies to clamp down on the perpetrators. The ministry will continue to review its strategy to plug any loopholes, processes and procedures and deal decisively with any conniving officials.”
