Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah has shared a supposed dossier on how the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, allegedly dropped out of University of Nigeria Nsukka.
The Minister is enmeshed in a certificate forgery scandal, which put the lie to his curriculum vitae in which he claimed to graduate from UNN with BSc in Microbiology/Biochemistry and undertook the mandate National Youth Service Corps in Jos which he submitted to the National Assembly for screening when President Bola Tinubu nominated him.
A saga, at one time UNN authority authenticated it but later recanted the position.
On Monday Nnaji by proxy said his ordeal was politically motivated and blamed the Enugu governor for it.
The latter through the Director of Information at the Enugu State Ministry of Information and Communication, Chukwuemeka Nebo denied the charge.
In the denial, Gov. Mba hinted that the minister allegedly dropped out of UNN.
“Did he, for his screening, present a purported degree certificate to the Senate showing that he graduated from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in July 1985?
“Is it true that he deposed in a Federal High Court filing in Abuja that he was not issued any degree certificate by UNN and, if so, how did he come about the degree certificate he presented to the Senate?
“Is it also true that while he claims to have graduated in July 1985, he applied to the university to retake Virology (Course code: MCB 431) in the September 1985 Supplementary Examination, having failed the course?
“Is it also true that the university, in a November 8, 1985 letter, informed Uche Nnaji that he again failed Virology (Course code: MCB 431) in the Supplementary Examinations, but could register to retake the course in the June 1986 examinations, provided he paid an examination fee of N4.00 (Four naira)?
“Is it true that on January 3, 1986, he again applied to retake the Virology (Course code: MCB 431) examination in June 1986, stating in his letter that the receipt for the payment of the N4.00 (Four Naira) resit fee had been attached?” the statement released by Nebo read.
It also read further: “Is it true that while he claims to be in possession of a university degree, he only submitted his Secondary School WASC Certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission for his participation in the 2023 governorship election?
“Why did Uche Nnaji’s proxy state at the Abuja press conference that the minister ‘graduated’, while avoiding stating categorically that he was issued a degree certificate?
“But rather than appear before them to answer questions and establish his innocence, the minister absconded, leaving behind proxies who could not withstand the barrage of legitimate questions from journalists.”
The statement also contains these words, “Whereas the CEO of the NYSC at the time he claimed to have undergone the national service was Col. Edet Akpan (January 1984 to December 1987), Uche Nnaji’s NYSC discharge certificate was signed by Col. Animashaun Braimoh, who was NYSC CEO from January 1988 to December 1990.
“Is it true that NYSC certificates issued up till October 1990 had six-digit numbering devoid of alphabetic characters, but Uche Nnaji’s discharge certificate, supposedly issued in 1986, was numbered A231309, which includes the alphabet ‘A’?”
