…ND, HND certs up for grabs at Delta State Polytechnic
…NSU allegedly trades undergraduates JAMB registration numbers to unqualified prospective youth corps members
…As Forensic Institute moves to expose politicians with fake certificates
Nigeria has had its fair share of certificates forgery by the political class, but recent findings show that some tertiary institutions may be dangling the savory bait in order to make illicit financial gains, DAVID MAXWELL writes.
Controversies surrounding forged or missing certificates have become a recurring theme in Nigerias political landscape since the country returned to democracy in 1999. Several high-profile politicians, both in elected and appointed positions, have found themselves embroiled in scandals involving forged certificates. Despite this many Nigerians were thrown into shock during the past week when two surprising revelations were made, thereby causing many to wonder if the days of Oluwole Epidemic has infected tertiary institutions. Others say they thought such practices were endemic to the Republic of Benin and Togo alone.
Recall that about a year ago, the federal government blacklisted certificates obtained from institutions in neighbouring French-speaking countries of Togo and the Republic of Benin. Aside from dismissing the institutions for being substandard, the government also axed civil servants who obtained degrees from the affected schools, after an investigation uncovered a certificate racketeering syndicate in Benin Republic, where fake university degrees were sold to Nigerians.
But earlier in the week, it was exposed that a massive certificate racketeering was going on at the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Ukwu. An undercover investigation by freelance journalist, Martins White-Ufuah, had uncovered this illicit activity at the institution.
White-Ufuah claimed he successfully purchased a National Diploma, ND, certificate from the institution with his name as proof of widespread fraud and requested an opportunity to discuss his findings on air (Arise TV) and provided documentary evidence, including certificates and video proof, with one of the certificates showing that he was awarded an Upper Credit grade.
In a related development, Adamu Sunday, a graduate of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, disclosed his harrowing experience after discovering that another student was assigned his JAMB registration number to observe the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps, NYSC programme.
He said: I feel very sad that I have been frustrated by Nasarawa State University, Keffi. If not for the encouragement Ive been receiving from people around me to stay strong, I would have ended it all. I am depressed knowing someone has reaped the labour of my four years at the university. This person used my registration number to serve.
“I registered for the Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME on February 7, 2018, and successfully gained admission to Nasarawa in 2018 to study Economics. I have my admission letter from JAMB and every other document. I graduated with a Second Class Upper in 2024.”
According to Sunday, he discovered the fraudulent activity when he attempted to enroll for the NYSC and all attempts to be mobilised were unsuccessful.
He continued: I went back to school in July 2024 to complain to the university to understand why my several applications for mobilisation had been rejected. A list was brought to me after it was checked. I was told that I had already served in 2019. At that point, I was shocked. I told them I couldnt have sat for UTME in 2018, been offered admission in 2018, but resumed in 2019 due to a strike and then went for my National Youth Service in 2019. However, the data entry officer didnt give me a listening ear.
“On July 23, 2024, I went to the JAMB Zonal Office at Life Camp in Abuja and narrated everything to them. I then did a thumbprint, which showed that I was the original owner of the registration number. I was told to go back to my school, as my registration number had been used to mobilise another person. I then went to the Student Affairs Division with my admission letter and informed them that I was referred from JAMB. They took my admission letter and asked me to come back so they could find out who my registration number was used for. They said they tried the persons number several times, but he didnt pick up their calls.
After a back and forth from the Dean of Students Affairs, to the Vice Chancellor, to JAMB and NYSC, he said he was eventually no longer allowed access to the VCs office, but was referred back to students affairs where he was told to stop being stubborn as he wasnt the only one affected so he should agree to do the regularisation like others did.
According to the Public Relations Officer, PRO, of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Jafaru Abdullahi, “When the story came out, I took it upon myself to investigate deeper to find out the real source of the problem. So, I have spoken to the Dean of Student Affairs, who is handling the issue because such a matter falls under his deanery. He told me that when the issue came up, they tried to reach out to him (Adamu Sunday) so that the matter could be resolved because someone had already used his number. It is not the fault of the university; the person shares the same name as Sunday. The person now used his number to get mobilised.
“The school said he would go to Lafia, where they would regularise him and then mobilise him for national youth service. But hes kicking against regularisation because of its perceived consequences. Many people pass through school, but if they have issues, they should go for regularisation. For example, if you were given admission under a particular programme, and then switched to another programme, your course records would be in the former programme.
“You now have to regularise your JAMB admission so that it aligns with your current course. Its just the case with him. Its not like he never attended school. How can it be that he never attended school when he already has a certificate and a statement of result? It will not affect him negatively. Thats why its called regularisation. You are trying to regularise your admission for one reason or another.”
Speaking to AljazirahNigeria Newspapers, Idris Suleiman, who said he has in the past been asked to pay as low as N350,000 for an HND certificate in one of the foremost polytechnics in northern Nigeria said: Certificate racketeering did not start today, but I can tell you that it is much worse now especially with the rigours involved in education, and the huge preference for paper qualification over what an individual can do. I can tell you that all these schools across Nigeria have agents and touts whose duty it is to source for customers in need of certificates and they are paid per customer.
In my own case, I decided to concentrate on boosting my business after my one year industrial attachment since I see how difficult it is to get a job after graduation. But if I was the type that was hoping on getting job, I dont know if I would have been able to say no to such repeated offers.
Sometime last year, the National Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria have revealed plans to expose politicians with questionable qualifications and prevent them from participating in elections.
The President and Chairman Governing Council of the Institute, Dr Iliyasu Gashinbaki, disclosed this during a meeting with the leadership of national Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, in Abuja.
He said the institute would partner with IPAC to authenticate documents of aspirants even before the primary elections in the 2027 general elections.
Politics is too important to be left in the hands of politicians. We will engage all political parties, through IPAC to see how we can strengthen the electoral management process. We have had several instances where we know that if forensic tools had been deployed it would have saved the country embarrassment and even the stress the electorate went through, he said.
