He was and indeed had been one of the chosen few that the new President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed into the Federal Cabinet as a Minister to form a new team that would lead the country to the presidents Renewed Hope Agenda. We refer to a point and time in August, 2023.
Supposedly, he and all others who were lucky to have been so selected had been made to pass through a screening exercise which the Senate as the Upper Chamber of the country’s Legislature, has a constitutional duty to perform.
Nigerians would recall that Nasir El-Rufai, the enfant terrible of our politics was one of the Ministerial candidates. But he could not pass through that same test in spite of the confidence he exuded and the claim that he made during the screening session that Mr President was bringing him on board to help fix the electricity.
problem the country faced then and even continues to face.
Starting from Beta Edu who as the All Progressive Congress (APC) National Women’s Leader had secured her Ministerial Post to help the president in handling Poverty Alleviation matters, a few of them as Ministers had started in no time, to be shown the exit door. A few more others considered to be non-performing had had to be fired.
One of the new comers who got on board was a renowned Professor from Plateau State. A few months after his coming on board that professor went on to become the National Chairman of the ruling party – the All Progressive Congress (APC)
Neither the dismissals nor the reshuffle exercises affected our man from the East who supposedly threw in the towel last Tuesday. His name is Geoffrey Uche Nnaji.
He is from the coal city state of Enugu.
We it is nevet in the character of many big men and women in Nigeria to throw-in the towel and abandon their posts even when very glaring evidence or reasons to do so present themselves. Geoffry Uche Nnaji, the now dishonorable Minister for Innovation Science and Technology did exactly what Nigerian big men are known to do – sit tight initially. But when the bubble bust through the Nigerian media that Nnaji belongs to the class of certificate forgers, he had to think twice or perhaps was made to do so. Initially, Nnaji had tried to stop the University of Nigeria in Nsukka from bringing out his records and transcript.
When he did not succeed in that attempt, he had to resign. Perhaps he was made to do so by a higher authority.
Nigerians did not doubt the fact that the now former Minister was once a student of the University of Nigeria. But they are of the opinion that the certificate he said he earned was not issued by the “Lion growling” University campus in Nsukka.
That is where the convergence he had much earlie alluded to and presented at the Senate in August 2023 started to get blurred.
It finally got de-focused and the next honourable thing to do was for him to resign or be made to do so. Whichever way he exited his Olympian height does not matter. A price must always be paid for any wrong done or any sin committed, be it against God or even fellow men.
In the last 26 years, that the return to civil rule has been entrenched in Nigeria, the gale of certificate forgery and other such related matters have both bloomed and blossomed. It started with the zeal of a then young man in 1999. His name was and is Salisu Buhari. He so much wanted to serve his country that at
29, he wanted to be Speaker of the nation’s
Lower legislative chamber. By the strength, opportunity, money and power that he invoked he got there quite alright in the typical Nigerian bulldozing manner.
However, only two months after he got there, the wind blew so ferociously and in the end, the nakedness of the foul was made bare.
At about that same time there was the attention that was called for Nigerians to know if their Senate President in Year 2000 was Evan or Evans Enwerem. Which of them did his certificate bear? Was it Evan or Evans? Here then was a politician who in time past had been elected Governor of his state and was being ridiculed as the nation’s No 3 citizen at the centre. He got flushed out in the end at the alter of politics.
Even the man who is President of Nigeria today and was then serving as Governor of Lagos State had his own
share of the bargain that took centre stage of our nation’s politics. His, had to do with what the primary and secondary schools he attended were in Nigeria. The matter also centered around which university he attended abroad. Was it the Chicago University or Chicago State University? Could it have been Toronto University which Speaker Salisu Buhari had claimed he attended?
It is on record that Aminu Masari from Katsina State who replaced Umar Ghali Na’ Aba as Speaker when the latter was denied a come back bid to the House, also faced the challenge of certificate forgery.
It appears there is no election cycle in our country that has not thrown up politicians with doubtful acts and intentions.
Actors in the political space have continued to use the certificate saga to fight very dirty. Six years or so ago, matters related to the doctoring of certificate of the then Deputy Governor-Elect of Bayelsa State, shoved the Governor-Elect and the Deputy Governor-Elect from
being sworn in a day or so to their inauguration. The mantle fell on Governor Diri Douye and his deputy who had lost that election on the field. The two got sworn-in instead of those who had won via the ballot box. What a dramatic turn of events it was for the two hitherto victorious men.
In some other cases like that of Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, the political elites had use that to fight the wars of attrition they felt they needed to weaken and sway their opponents from concentratingnon governance.
The truth of the matter is that series of certificate forgery have become a regular matter among our politicians. It is nothing less than cheating through impersonation.
That this must stop is a very fundamental issue.
Over the years certificate forgery has brewed and continues to breed mediocrity that negates our nation’s development. It leads to incompetence that is often exhibited in higher places in our country. It has made our nation to live on falsehood and such pretences that do us no good.
It does not encourage work ethics and has brought about the culture of impunity that Nigerians exhibit freely. The truth must be told,
certificate forgery is ruining our dear country. This misdemeanour does not bring out the integrity nor character we can boast of as a nation. It destroys our very essence and does not encourage justice delivery either. It devalues our very essences as a people. It has proved to be too dishonorable for us in the commity of nations.
The time has come for Nigerian leaders to begin to balance our linguistic, cultural and even religious diversity with our nation’s unity, integrity and character in mind. We must as a nation pursue a people driven and at the same time, a nationalistic process in place. The lasting true federalism that we seek and rightly ask for in this country, requires negotiation, consent and ratification of all that the people agree on, via discussions. It is undeniable also that the troubling reality that is on our shoulders to carry and birth successfully in future requires a great measure of truth-telling to ourselves. Ladies and gentlemen, the time to value all our citizens very equally is here!
Similarly, the time for our country to know she is the Custodian of truth and correct behaviour is NOW!
We must not only discourage all efforts of forgery, we must go the tough way to stop it. Culprits must not only be flushed out, they must be made to undergo necessary punishment to serve as deterrent to others. People like Uche Nnaji must not only be punished, they should be removed from any honour list they had been unjustifiably placed in the past. Nnaji must be made to refund all the salary and emoluments he has been given within the two or so years he has been a Minister. If we want the Gen Z class of Nigerians who are beginning to start having confidence in this country and whose future leaders they are to trust their country, it becomes imperative for us to set examples and standards for both the good and also the bad as Uche Nnaji case presents. Therefore,Mr President must not just accept Nnaji’s letter of resignation, he must be prevented from leaving the country for the next six months during which thorough investigations would be made on his life. We want those who signed the Certificates he claimed to posess and which ensured he passed through the Senate Screening two years ago to be made to face the law.
We must aim at uprooting this canker worm that is sinking our nation and bleeding it to death so that proper character can begin to reflect in the behaviour of our people. This Uche has not been honourable to Nigeria at all. He does not deserve to be pitied. So do we think. We are sure many will think along with us.
