The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) applaud Tinubu government for its prompt and decisive decision to suspend the accreditation of degrees from the Republic of Benin and Togo due to widespread irregularities and fraudulent practices.
In a statement released on Wednesday in Abuja, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the Executive Director of MURIC, expressed the organization’s strong support for the government’s action, citing the recent undercover investigation by Umar Audu of the Daily Nigeria newspaper as a stark illustration of the problem.
Audu’s report revealed that he acquired a degree from one of these universities within six weeks and even took part in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with the fraudulent certificate.
“MURIC lauds FG for banning those fraudulent certificates. The holders of such fake credentials pose a grave danger to the lives of Nigerians and the quality of public service too,” he said. “We charge the ministries of education at both federal and state levels to be wary of holders of such certificates. Those found to have been employed with them should be shown the way out. Furthermore, the security agencies should fish out those behind the fraudulent admissions within Nigeria. Those are agents of the fake tertiary institutions in faraway Benin and Togo. They should be made to face the full wrath of the law.”
He also urged security services to look into and detain individuals who were working as agents for these bogus universities overseas and were involved in enabling these fraudulent admissions within Nigeria. He emphasized, “They have to accept the full consequences of their actions.”
In addition, Professor Akintola requested a comprehensive investigation into the events leading up to the Federal Ministry of Education’s incorrectly confirmed accreditation clearance letter for the Ecole Supérieure de Gestion et de Technologies (ESGT). Due to this oversight, 51 fictitious graduates from the school were approved for national service by NYSC.
“We demand an investigation into circumstances surrounding the clearance letter issued by the Federal Ministry of Education which confirmed that the university (ESGT) is on the ministry’s list of accredited institutions. It was this letter which enabled NYSC to accept 51 fake graduates to serve in the scheme. On its own part, NYSC authorities must take necessary action on the 51 fake corpers from ESGT who are serving illegally. They must be flushed out,” he added.
He also offered advice to anybody who could have unintentionally acquired these phony certifications.
In her closing remarks, Professor Akintola emphasized the value of a true education and the perils of phony credentials.
He said, “We also advise gullible but innocent Nigerians who have obtained the certificates to quickly set the machinery in motion to correct the anomaly. They should upgrade themselves by seeking authentic university admission either within or outside the country.
“Education may be the key to technological breakthrough and the concomitant industrial progress, but half-baked education and fake certificates are deadly dynamites in the system which is capable of destroying everything that may have been achieved.”
