Alledged forgery: Fresh questions trail Minister Nnaji’s resignation

By Nnamdi Ojiego

The resignation of Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, has reopened long-standing concerns astir Nigeria’s vetting process for nationalist officials. 

The improvement follows an probe which revealed that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) disowned the world and work certificates Nnaji submitted for his ministerial screening.

The improvement has revived nationalist outrage implicit however individuals routinely standard Nigeria’s supposedly rigorous information screening and look arsenic ministers, governors, and heads of captious agencies lone for allegations to surface.

For galore Nigerians, Nnaji’s resignation is not an isolated incidental but a grounds of the heavy organization decay that defines the nation’s governance structure.

 Alleged forgery

 Okechukwu Nwanguma, Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), said the allegations against Nnaji were huge.

“Based connected the findings and the authoritative responses from UNN and NYSC, the allegations against Mr. Nnaji were huge,” Nwanguma stated.

“Forgery is a superior transgression offence involving falsification of authoritative documents with intent to deceive, particularly erstwhile specified documents are utilized to summation nationalist office.”

He argued that resignation, portion morally appropriate, is legally insufficient.

“Allowing Mr. Nnaji to softly resign and locomotion distant without probe oregon prosecution sends the incorrect connection that transgression behaviour successful nationalist work attracts nary consequences,” helium said.

According to him, the nonaccomplishment of the Department of State Service (DSS), the bureau of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and the Senate to observe the discrepancies during screening amounts to dereliction of duty. 

“The information that each these layers of scrutiny failed to uncover what journalists aboriginal exposed done open-source verification suggests either gross incompetence oregon deliberate concealment,” helium said.

 Infected

 For forensic adept and transgression quality specialist, Alfred Ononugbo, the Nnaji occurrence is simply a merchandise of governmental interference that has agelong corrupted Nigeria’s nationalist institutions.

“Over time, we’ve seen the governmental people intrude into each assemblage – from acquisition to information – due to the fact that authorities has go an endeavor alternatively than a nationalist service. Due diligence successful nationalist bureau appointments has go a specified ritual”, Ononugbo said.

He noted that the concern is worsened by a civilization of patronage that values loyalty implicit competence. “Credibility has been replaced with governmental gratification. The screening strategy nary longer functions arsenic a safeguard; it’s an endorsement process for governmental allies,” helium said.

 Ononugbo besides questioned the credibility of Nigeria’s information quality architecture, describing it arsenic “a shadiness of what it utilized to be.”

“How could the DSS wide idiosyncratic whose documents tin beryllium invalidated with basal checks? That is simply a large indictment,” helium said. “If these institutions had maintained due biometric and world verification databases, such forgeries would not walk unnoticed.”

He cautioned that portion Nnaji’s resignation mightiness look arsenic an enactment of integrity, it could besides beryllium tactical. “There’s a anticipation that helium resigned to hole for a ineligible fight, claiming helium was politically targeted. But adjacent that shows however anemic our vetting and ineligible systems person become,” helium said.

  Conspiracy of silence

 Uche Alisigwe, Principal Partner of Onunaku Chambers, described the ungraded arsenic a conspiracy of soundlessness by Nigeria’s leadership.

“Our state is yet to ripen and mature contempt its age. Systematic corruption has eaten heavy into the cloth of society,” helium said. “The DSS, the Senate, and different agencies liable for verifying these documents person a batch to answer.”

 Alisigwe argued that some the curate and those who cleared him should look ineligible consequences. “A strategy that works would prosecute officials who authenticated the forged certificates. They aided and abetted the offence or, astatine best, were blameworthy of dereliction of duty,” helium said.

He insisted that failing to authorisation those involv...