HEDA calls on Tinubu and Akpabio to investigate and suspend Minister Nnaji over fake NYSC certificate

Anti-corruption group HEDA Resource Centre has called on President Bola Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio to urgently investigate allegations of falsification of certificates against Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, the Minister of Science and Technology, and suspend him in the meantime.

HEDA Chairman Olanrewaju Suraju based his petition on an exclusive report by the Peoples Gazette detailing how the minister had submitted a fake National Youth Service certificate alongside his credentials and how the national intelligence agency, SSS, ignored these discrepancies to facilitate the successful vetting of Mr Nnaji as minister by the National Assembly.

HEDA condemned the alleged negligence of the SSS in failing to act and report its findings to the Senate before Mr Nnaji was appointed as minister, saying their conduct mirrored previous cases where prominent individuals like Kemi Sdepsun and Stella Oduah were given the green light for ministerial positions despite submitting fake credentials.

“We urge the National Assembly to thoroughly investigate this matter,” the petition states. “It is critical that the role of the SSS and the possible lapses or compromises in the clearance process are examined and remedied.”

In a similar but separate petition, the anti-corruption group called on Mr Akpabio and his colleagues in the Senate to thoroughly investigate Mr Nnaji and intensify their vetting process for future civil service candidates to safeguard the integrity of the office.

Mr Nnaji’s NYSC certificate with serial number A231309 shows that he served for over a year. It shows that the politician enlisted on April 16, 1985 and retired on May 15, 1986, a total of 13 months for a compulsory service that lasted only 12 months.

Furthermore, Mr. Nnaji’s certificate, allegedly issued in 1986, bore the signature of Animashaun Braimoh, a colonel in the Nigerian Army who was only appointed head of the NYSC in January 1988.

The Gazette’s extensive research revealed that all the certificates issued in 1986 were signed by Etuk Akpan, who was appointed head of the NYSC from January 1984 to December 1987.

When NYSC officials sought to verify the document, they were unable to identify the source of Mr. Nnaji’s certificate and could not find in their possession a copy that bore the validity period stated on the certificate.