By Nnamdi Ojiego
The resignation of Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, has reopened long-standing concerns about Nigeria’s vetting process for public officials.
The development follows an investigation which revealed that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) disowned the academic and service certificates Nnaji submitted for his ministerial screening.
The development has revived public outrage over how individuals routinely scale Nigeria’s supposedly rigorous security screening and emerge as ministers, governors, and heads of critical agencies only for allegations to surface.
For many Nigerians, Nnaji’s resignation is not an isolated incident but a symptom of the deep institutional 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 on the findings and the official responses from UNN and NYSC, the allegations against Mr. Nnaji were huge,” Nwanguma stated.
“Forgery is a serious criminal offence involving falsification of official documents with intent to deceive, especially when such documents are used to gain public office.”
He argued that resignation, while morally appropriate, is legally insufficient.
“Allowing Mr. Nnaji to quietly resign and walk away without investigation or prosecution sends the wrong message that criminal conduct in public service attracts no consequences,” he said.
According to him, the failure of the Department of State Service (DSS), the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and the Senate to detect the discrepancies during screening amounts to dereliction of duty.
“The fact that all these layers of scrutiny failed to uncover what journalists later exposed through open-source verification suggests either gross incompetence or deliberate concealment,” he said.
Infected
For forensic expert and criminal intelligence specialist, Alfred Ononugbo, the Nnaji episode is a product of political interference that has long corrupted Nigeria’s public institutions.
“Over time, we’ve seen the political class intrude into every sector – from education to security – because politics has become an enterprise rather than a public service. Due diligence in public office appointments has become a mere ritual”, Ononugbo said.
He noted that the situation is worsened by a culture of patronage that values loyalty over competence. “Credibility has been replaced with political gratification. The screening system no longer functions as a safeguard; it’s an endorsement process for political allies,” he said.
Ononugbo also questioned the credibility of Nigeria’s security intelligence architecture, describing it as “a shadow of what it used to be.”
“How could the DSS clear someone whose documents can be invalidated with basic checks? That is a big indictment,” he said. “If these institutions had maintained proper biometric and academic verification databases, such forgeries would not pass unnoticed.”
He cautioned that while Nnaji’s resignation might appear as an act of integrity, it could also be tactical. “There’s a possibility that he resigned to prepare for a legal fight, claiming he was politically targeted. But even that shows how weak our vetting and legal systems have become,” he said.
Conspiracy of silence
Uche Alisigwe, Principal Partner of Onunaku Chambers, described the scandal as a conspiracy of silence by Nigeria’s leadership.
“Our country is yet to ripen and mature despite its age. Systematic corruption has eaten deep into the fabric of society,” he said. “The DSS, the Senate, and other agencies responsible for verifying these documents have a lot to answer.”
Alisigwe argued that both the minister and those who cleared him should face legal consequences. “A system that works would prosecute officials who authenticated the forged certificates. They aided and abetted the offence or, at best, were guilty of dereliction of duty,” he said.
He insisted that failing to sanction those involved would further erode public confidence in government institutions.
“This is not just about Nnaji; it’s about the integrity of the Nigerian state,” he said. “If people see that high-profile officials can commit forgery and escape punishment, it will embolden others.”
Culture of impunity
The Nnaji case is not an isolated occurrence. Over the years, several Nigerian politicians have faced similar allegations of certificate forgery, a pattern that underscores the country’s long-standing crisis of integrity in public office.
In 1999, Salisu Buhari, then Speaker of the House of Representatives, resigned after it was revealed that he forged a University of Toronto degree.
Former Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun also stepped down in 2018 when it emerged that her NYSC exemption certificate was fake. In the years that followed, figures such as Senator Ademola Adeleke, now Governor of Osun State, were accused of falsifying secondary school records, while Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah faced controversy after the NYSC disowned a discharge certificate he submitted.
Others, like Christian Abah, a former lawmaker, lost their positions after the Supreme Court confirmed that he tendered a forged diploma, and Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo was disqualified from a governorship race for similar reasons. Together, these cases reveal a pattern of impunity and systemic failure in Nigeria’s screening process, where political loyalty often outweighs honesty and competence.
Yet, despite public outrage, prosecutions are rare and accountability elusive. Analysts believe this reflects a culture of impunity where political expediency trumps legality. The DSS and Senate, which are expected to protect national integrity through thorough background checks, have often been accused of partisanship and negligence.
“Each time such situations arise, we hear about resignations or quiet withdrawals, but never about accountability,” said Nwanguma. “That silence has become institutionalized.”
A test for credibility
The Nnaji resignation, though dramatic, represents a familiar story, one where the system bends to accommodate wrongdoing, then quietly moves on. Whether the law will take its full course remains uncertain.
For civil society advocates, this is a defining moment for Nigeria’s anti-corruption posture.
“This situation must serve as a turning point,” Nwanguma urged.
“The government should commission an independent audit of the credentials of all political appointees. Public office is a public trust, and integrity must be the first qualification.”
Until that happens, many fear that the cycle of forgery, cover-up, and resignation will continue, leaving Nigerians to wonder how many more Uche Nnajis sit comfortably in power, shielded by a broken system that no longer knows the difference between competence and deceit.
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