The House of Representatives has initiated an inquiry into suspected instances of certificate fraud involving government employees who obtained their degrees within the past 10years.
This investigation targets officials from various Federal Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies who are allegedly complicit in certificate racketeering schemes affecting Nigerian students.
The probe follows revelations made by Umar Audu, a journalist from DAILY NIGERIAN, who, in December 2022, acquired a degree from a university in Cotonou, Benin Republic, within a remarkably short period of six weeks.
Subsequently, Audu completed the mandatory National Youth Service Corps program and later accused undisclosed Ministry of Education officials of being part of a syndicate involved in certificate fraud. This disclosure has sparked significant public outcry and criticism from concerned citizens.
Leading the debate on the motion, Abubakar Fulata, Chairman, Joint Committee on Certificate Racketeering, called on the House to “identify officials of MDAs and students who benefited from such institutions and their campuses in the last ten years.
Mr Fulata vowed to confront such menace in the tertiary institutions during its sitting in Abuja.
He said certificate racketeering could cripple health care system and various sectors of the economy if allowed to go unchecked.
Mr Fulata said the House mandated its Committees on University Education, Interior Foreign Affairs and Youths Development to investigate the matter and report back.
“This has been a burning issue in both public and private institutions where there are seemingly less observance of rules, regulations, processes, quality assurance among others.
He said there was a need to get to the root of the illicit act and proffer solutions, while appealing to MDAs and relevant stakeholders to cooperate with the committee in order to achieve the desired result.
Please don’t look at fake results of 10years administrators…lets focus on better thought of growth of this nation. let them breath because we cannot leave for ever, this committee will need money to function and at the end no JUSTICE is served. please focus on growth or development for life is short.