FG: Committee probing fake degrees will submit its report soon

The federal government says the committee instituted to probe fake academic certificates will soon submit its report.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, Tahir Mamman, minister of education, said the committee has completed its sittings on the matter.

In January, the federal government suspended the evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from Benin Republic and Togo.

The decision was sequel to an undercover investigative report that exposed certificate racketeering from neighbouring African countries.

A report published in The Daily Nigerian exposed a booming certificate racketeering syndicate in neighbouring African countries like Benin Republic and Togo, that specialises in selling university degrees to willing buyers in Nigeria.

In the investigation, an undercover reporter bagged a university degree from Cotonou in six weeks at “an affordable rate” and used the certificate to participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme without detection.

Subsequently, the federal government inaugurated an inter-ministerial committee to investigate fake degrees and the procurement of such degrees.

The panel was also asked to probe the veracity of the allegations of certificate racketeering within foreign and private universities in Nigeria.

Asked to comment on the report of the panel, the minister said he has not seen the content of the committee’s report.

“I understand that they are about to submit their report in the next few days,” the minister said.

“The committee has completed sitting. They are basically doing the editing work. Very soon, we will have it.”

“I cannot comment on it (report) yet because the report is not before me but it appears there is a problem (certificate racketeering).

SSANU, NASU SAGA

In March, members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational Associated Institutions (NASU) embarked on a one-week warning strike.

Both unions began the strike to protest salaries withheld by the federal government during the 2022 industrial action.

SSANU and NASU accused the federal government of unfair treatment and discrimination. Both unions expressed concerns that the federal government failed to pay them like their academic counterparts.

Reacting to the development, Mamman said his ministry is “doing everything possible” to ensure that members of the two unions get part of their withheld salaries.

The minister said the payment of the withheld salaries has not been approved.

He said the two unions were not on strike at the same time with their academic counterparts, adding that they may get half payment.

“I don’t think it is safe to put a time on it but it is safer to say that we are on it and we are pushing,” the minister said.

“In the case of non-academic staff, they were not on strike for the same period with the academic staff — about four months or so.

“So, if they are getting payment, it is going to be half of that, if the president will follow his precedent with the academic staff.”