By Joke Kujenya
THE FEDERAL Government has mandated the dismissal of workers in both public and private sectors found with fake degree certificates from Benin and Togo.
The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, announced this decision during a press conference in Abuja, marking his one year in office.
The move follows recommendations by an inter-ministerial committee set up to investigate a December report by DAILY NIGERIAN.
Back then, the report exposed how a DAILY NIGERIAN undercover reporter, Umar Audu, obtained a degree from Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies, ESGT, in Cotonou, Benin Republic, within two months.
The reporter used this fake certificate to participate in the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC), despite having completed the programme legitimately five years earlier.
Mamman emphasized that many institutions in Benin and Togo attended by Nigerian students are not licensed to offer degree programmes.
He stated, “We cannot have individuals with fake certificates competing with graduates from our universities and polytechnics who worked hard for their degrees.”
The Federal Executive Council (FEC), chaired by President Bola Tinubu, approved the dismissal of 21,684 individuals who obtained fake degrees from Benin Republic between 2019 and 2023.
Additionally, 1,105 fake certificates from Togo were identified. Mamman clarified that these certificates were issued by institutions not recognized in their respective countries.
The Minister also mentioned that some parents unknowingly send their children to these unapproved institutions.
In Togo, only three universities are officially licensed to offer degrees, while Benin has five. Any certificates from other institutions are considered fake.
Since 2017, degrees from universities in these countries that operate solely in English are not recognized as these institutions are not approved.
The government’s directive includes a circular from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to all employers, public and private, to identify and dismiss any employees with such fake certificates.
The Head of Service has also been instructed to ensure that the public service is cleared of individuals holding these unrecognized qualifications.
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