- Lawyer and activist Frank Tietie has urged authorities to prosecute former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, who resigned amid certificate forgery allegations.
- Tietie said Nnaji’s resignation implies guilt and called for punishment harsher than that of ex-Speaker Sanusi Buhari, who was jailed for a similar offence.
- He argued that Nnaji’s alleged forgery disgraces Nigeria’s education system and insisted he should not only face trial but also refund all benefits earned through the “fake certificate.”
Lawyer and activist Frank Tietie has demanded tough punishment for former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, who resigned amid certificate forgery allegations.
Tietie argued that Nnaji’s resignation indicates guilt and said his punishment should be harsher than that of ex-Speaker Sanusi Buhari, who was jailed two years for a similar offence.
Nnaji, accused of forging his Bachelor’s and NYSC certificates, denied wrongdoing, saying he resigned after “a sustained campaign of falsehood and politically motivated attacks.”
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“It should go beyond resignation. It should go beyond persecution. The integrity of Nigerian educational system was on trial in the last few days.
“It was on international, it was on a universal trial. The alumni of the University of Nigeria must have been so embarrassed that it could be so. You know that its certificates could be so procured that people who didn’t graduate can now claim graduation.
“In fact, it throws a lot of systemic failures on the part of those who do verifications actually committed grievous offenses, not only Nigerian educational system, not only against the administration of President Tinubu, not only against the criminal laws of this country, but, you know, in his brazeness, to also abuse the court process.
“He’s gone beyond the, you know, the famous Toronto scandal that involved Sanusi Buhari who was in fact, not only prosecuted, he was sentenced to two years imprisonment and with an option of fine.
“And it was so painful that that same Sanusi Buhari was appointed as a member of the Governing Council University of Nigeria. Just imagine that fantastic brand, University of Nigeria. It’s at the Minister of Innovation, you know, transform his ministry to the innovation of fake certificates.
“And then he goes on to defend it. There is something important here. The Supreme Court has made a very important principle on ground that if you, you know, operate with an illegal certificate, or with, either as an elected or an appointed person, whatsoever you acquired in course of the use of that certificate, you must refunded.
“So, I expect that, beyond prosecution, I expect that Nnaji should prepare to return whatever he has got as a result of the use of that certificate.
