The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, has fingered the Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, as the mastermind of the certificate forgery allegations against him.
This is as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has lampooned the president, saying it was not surprised that President Bola Tinubu retained Nnaji in the Federal Government, even after the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) disowned the certificates he presented for his appointment.
Addressing the press yesterday in Abuja through his spokesperson, Dr Robert Ngwu, the minister said the unfounded allegation was a political witch-hunt by his governor, whose intention was to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), of which he is a strong member.
He said, “Mbah wants Nnaji out of the way. He has given a new name to all his problems. He is seeking a second term in office and the only way to achieve this is to get Nnaji out of the way. He wants to join APC but fully aware that Nnaji is there. He is not comfortable,” Ngwu claimed.
An online medium had alleged that the minister forged UNN credentials, which he had earlier submitted to President Tinubu and the Senate during his ministerial screening and confirmation.
But the minister, yesterday, called on the UNN authorities to uphold its proud motto and reclaim its integrity by distancing itself from political manipulation by reaffirming the authenticity of its own official record.
“This is not just about one man’s academic record; it is about protecting truth, preserving institutional honour and ensuring that no university in Nigeria ever becomes a pawn in partisan politics.”
According to Ngwu, the minister remained a proud alumnus of the university, having graduated in July 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology/Biochemistry. This, he stated, was also documented in the institution’s records, acknowledged in its official correspondence and reflected in its 1985 Convocation Brochure.
While Ngwu, on the one hand, insisted that the minister was issued a certificate on graduation, without which he would not have enrolled for the compulsory NYSC, he said “the only authentic letter issued by the university on this matter is the one dated December 21, 2023”, during the screening exercise for his ministerial appointment.
Ngwu blamed the discrepancy on the school authorities, particularly the Vice Chancellor, whom, he alleged, is a card-carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and who was being used by the governor to destroy the minister.
Speaking on the legal action filed by the minister, the spokesman said when Nnaji got wind of attempts within the university to tamper with his academic file, he quickly sought legal redress by approaching the court, which, on September 22, granted an injunction restraining the Vice Chancellor and management of the university from tampering with his academic records.
The court also granted an order of mandamus compelling the school to release his academic transcript, which he claimed the school refused to obey.
