We ‘ll Sack Workers With Fake Certificates- Education Minister

Minister of Education Prof. Tahir Mamman says he is not backing down on his determination to sack any worker found to have acquired certificates from illegal universities.

Mamman who was speaking while inaugurating a 6-man Committee to investigate Degree Certificate Racketeering by both Foreign and Local Private Universities in Nigeria on Tuesday, stated that no matter how long the said workers have stayed in the civil services, if caught, they will be ‘chased’ out of the service and made to face the wrath of the law.

“The next step will be if the committee can uncover those institutions and those who participated because I won’t say they are victims or graduates; we will chase them out of the system because they are not qualified to work in the system, and we will make them face the wrath of the law,” he said.

Recall that the setting up of the Committee was necessitated by an investigation carried out by an undercover journalist, Umar Audu, detailing how he obtained a degree within six weeks and even proceeded to embark on the mandatory one-year national youth service under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

However, the minister stated that the investigation of the committee will not only end with foreign universities but will extend to private universities established in the last 15 years in Nigeria.

He noted that the committee will help identify some of the private universities in the country operating outside the law and ensure that they are brought to book.

The minister urged members of the committee to be diligent in their job, as the assignment was an important one, adding that their recommendations would be implemented to the latter.

“I understand that Nigerians are doubtful or cynical about the implementation, but they should understand that this government is not business as usual. The recommendations of the committee will be implemented,” he promised.

The committee, which is headed by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT) Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Prof. J.D. Amin, has Mr. Chris Maiyaki, the acting Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), as a member.

Other members of the committee are Amb. Lazarus Kpasaba from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Abel Olarenwaju, Office of the National Security Advisor; Omeh Nwokpoku, Office of the National Security Advisor; Amina Lugga, Federal Ministry of Youth and Development; Mrs. Doom Iyortyom, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB); and a representative from the Federal Ministry of Justice.

The Committee was given 2 months to present their findings to the ministry.