Reps to probe MDAs involvement in Nigerian students’ certificate racketeering

By Christiana Ekpa

House of Representatives on Wednesday mandated its Committees on University Education, Federal Polytechnics, Higher Education, Youth Development, Interior, Foreign Affairs to investigate the act of certificate racketeering by Nigerian students in collusion with some officials of the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies MDAs of the Federal Government

The House equally recommended that the necessary reviews, amendments, or repeals of laws, policies, rules, protocols, or procedures be adopted for obtaining licenses, admissions, international passports, screening and authentication of results or certificates, and ensuring proper documentation before participating in the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC Scheme.

The lawmakers while condemning in its entirety the act also resolved to identify officials of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and other persons involved, identify the students that have benefited from such institutions and their campuses in Nigeria in the last 10 years.

These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion on the Need to investigate the allegations of Certificate Racketeering by Nigerian students in collusion with some officials from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in Nigeria moved by Hon. Abubakar Hassan Fulata at plenary session.

The Lawmaker noted that in the last two months, the Country had been plagued by a scandal involving Umar Audu, a journalist who went undercover to investigate a booming business, where he obtained a Certificate and transcript from the Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies, ESGT, Cotonou, Benin Republic Cotonou, and participated in the NYSC scheme within a month.

He further noted that according to the journalist, it was craftily achieved with the active involvement and connivance of government officials in the Federal Ministry of Education, the Nigerian Immigration Service, and the National Youth Service Corps.

He recalled that the journalist recounted his experience where the agent gave the option of studying either for a year or a month, but he opted for the one-month option, in which he obtained a certificate and transcript without attending lectures at the said University or leaving Nigeria.

According to him “The Federal Ministry of Education authenticates all the Certificates obtained abroad before allowing participation in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)”.

He disclosed that Officials of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) ensure due process and compliance at all levels with national and international protocols, processes, and rules before, during, and after obtaining any certificates.