Reps Probe MDAs Over Alleged Certificate Racketeering

House of Representatives yesterday resolved to investigate the allegations of certificate racketeering by Nigerian students in collusion with some officials from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in Nigeria.

This was sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Abubakar Hassan Fulata (APC, Jigawa) on the heels of a scandal involving Umar Audu, a journalist who went undercover and 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.

Moving the motion, Fulata recalled how the journalist revealed  that the saga 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.

“Aware that the Federal Ministry of Education authenticates all the certificates obtained abroad before allowing participation in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

“Also aware 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.

“Concerned that the recent development has not only put a question mark on the quality of the certificates and capacity of graduates from these universities but has also tarnished the image of the country’s educational system.

“Also, cognisant that failure to identify and prosecute institutions involved in certificate racketeering, their masterminds, and students could harm Nigeria’s socio-political and economic development, encouraging patronage and posing a threat to the country’s development,” he stated.