THE Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Musa Aliyu, has ordered an investigation into the alleged university degree scandal currently rocking a Cotonou university.
Aliyu said this while meeting with the journalist who reported the scandal, Umar Audu, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, January 2.
A statement issued after the meeting by the commission’s spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua, said the chairman and the reporter discussed the report with the aim to initiate relevant actions.
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“The investigation into Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies (ESGT) in Cotonou reveals a concerning situation where degrees are allegedly awarded in as little as six weeks, bypassing standard academic procedures like application, registration, coursework, and examinations.
“In response to these critical allegations, the ICPC is embarking on a thorough investigation,” part of the statement read.
The commission said the probe would examine the networks and individuals engaged in these malpractices to restore and preserve the nation’s educational system’s integrity.
The ICPC said it would collaborate with relevant domestic and international institutions to jointly evaluate the legitimacy of academic qualifications procured from overseas institutions, especially those highlighted in the report.
The commission called on all education stakeholders and the Nigerian government to join hands to support the effort.
“Together, we can work towards a future where the credibility of our educational qualifications is unimpeachable, and where corruption finds no refuge,” it added.
The ICIR reported that the Federal Government suspended the accreditation and evaluation of degree certificates from the Benin Republic and Togo.
A statement on Tuesday, January 2, by the Federal Ministry of Education spokesperson, Augustina Obilor-Duru, revealed that the government expressed concern over Nigerians resorting to unethical tactics to obtain degrees to secure job opportunities they aren’t qualified for.
The suspension followed a report by an online newspaper, Daily Nigerian, which exposed how a Cotonou-based university issued a degree certificate to an undercover journalist within six weeks.
The newspaper revealed how beneficiaries of these substandard certificates compete for jobs and other opportunities with hard-working graduates who undergo academic rigours for at least four years to obtain their degrees.
Having met with an agent, the reporter obtained the certificate and transcript of Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies, ESGT, Cotonou, Benin Republic, on February 17, 2023.
This was after the reporter paid the required amount, including tuition fees for the duration.
Reacting to the report, the ministry stated that the “report lends credence to suspicions that some Nigerians deploy nefarious means and unconscionable methods to get a degree with the end objective of getting graduate job opportunities for which they are not qualified”
“The Federal Ministry of Education vehemently decries such acts and, with effect from January 2 2024, is suspending evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from Benin and Togo Republics pending the outcome of an investigation that would involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria and the two countries, the ministries responsible for education in the two countries as well the Department of State Services (DSS), and the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC),” the statement added.
It also noted that it had been dealing with the issue involving illegal institutions abroad and at home, taking advantage of unsuspecting Nigerians and some desperate individuals deliberately patronising such establishments.
The ministry, therefore, called on Nigerians to provide information to help the committee as it seeks lasting solutions to prevent future occurrences.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance