NANS Urges FG To Investigate Agencies Aiding issuance Of Fake Degree Certificates

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged the Federal Government to investigate and sanction activities of relevant agencies aiding tertiary institutions to offer unaccredited courses and fake degree certificates.

The WHISTLER earlier reported that the Federal Government announced the suspension of evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from tertiary institutions in Benin, Togo.

This was following an investigative report by Daily Nigerian Newspaper titled “UNDERCOVER: How DAILY NIGERIAN reporter bagged Cotonou varsity degree in 6 weeks”.

The report fingered some officials of the Federal Ministry of Education and other agencies of conniving with agents of illegal tertiary institutions to pursue the fraudulent activities.

NANS called on the Federal Government to commence an investigation into the activities of the ministry, the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and other agencies involved in the fraudulent activities of obtaining degree certificates from foreign universities.

NANS in a statement signed by its National Senate President, Elvis Ekundina in Ogun State, also urged the government to sanction tertiary institutions operating in Nigeria that are offering courses without accreditation from relevant authorities.

“We also want to use this opportunity to call on the government to beam its searchlight into the activities of tertiary institutions, especially privately owned ones that are running unaccredited courses.

“These institutions, in their fraudulent acts, are destroying our education sector and swindling innocent young Nigerians of their money by offering them unaccredited courses.

“Like to describe these universities and polytechnics offering unaccredited courses as illegal institutions, as we want the government to deal with them appropriately,” he said.

Ekundina however commended the Federal Government over the suspension of the evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates obtained from institutions in the Benin Republic and Togo.

“While we commend the Federal Government for its quick decision to suspend the accreditation of degree certificates obtained from institutions in Benin Republic and Togo, it is important for the government to take further steps into investigating the activities of relevant agencies fingered in the fraudulent activities.

“This is the only way the federal government can save its face and restore the battered image of the country,” he said.