In a significant move, the Nigerian government has approved the dismissal of workers in both the public and private sectors who hold fake degree certificates from institutions in Benin and Togo Republics. This decision was announced by the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, during a press conference in Abuja on Friday, marking his one-year anniversary in office.
The measures were approved at a recent Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu. This decision stems from the recommendations of an inter-ministerial committee formed to investigate an undercover report by DAILY NIGERIAN published in December.
The report revealed how a DAILY NIGERIAN reporter, Umar Audu, acquired degree certificates from Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies (ESGT) in Cotonou, Benin Republic, in under two months. Audu also used one of these certificates to participate in the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC), despite having completed the scheme legitimately nearly five years earlier.
Minister Mamman noted that many institutions in these countries attended by Nigerian students are not accredited to offer degree programs. He said, “The ministry set up a committee to look into that; the committee came up with a detailed review; that review was sent to the federal executive council about a month ago, which approved some of the recommendations from the ministry.”
The approved measures include the following:
1. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) will issue a circular to all employers, whether public or private, to identify and dismiss anyone with a certificate from these unaccredited institutions.
2. The Head of Service has been mandated to remove from the public service anyone who is parading a certificate from these institutions.
Minister Mamman emphasized the importance of this decision, stating, “We can’t have in our midst people who procure fake certificates and to compete with our students who graduated from our universities and polytechnics through their sweat.”
This move by the Nigerian government is expected to address the issue of fake degree certificates and ensure a fair playing field for those who have earned their qualifications through legitimate means.