REPORT
Newsflo.ng
Enugu Gov vs Minister Nnaji: Certificate Forgery Allegations Spark Political Firestorm
A heated exchange has erupted between Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology Uche Nnaji over allegations of certificate forgery. Nnaji’s media aide, Robert Ngwu, claims Mbah is orchestrating a smear campaign against the minister for political reasons, while Mbah’s administration denies involvement, urging Nnaji to clear his name.
The controversy began with a Premium Times investigative report alleging Nnaji submitted forged academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates to President Bola Tinubu and the Senate during his ministerial nomination process in 2023. The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), reportedly disowned the degree certificate submitted by Nnaji, stating he didn’t complete his studies and wasn’t awarded a degree.
Mbah’s Director of Information, Chukwuemeka Nebo, criticized Nnaji for not personally addressing the allegations, saying, “The honourable minister must carry his own cross and clear his name before Nigerians.” Nebo questioned Nnaji’s decision to delegate a press briefing to proxies, asking why he wouldn’t answer critical questions himself if he had nothing to hide.
Ngwu maintains Nnaji graduated from UNN in 1985 and the university confirmed this in writing in December 2023. He attributed discrepancies in Nnaji’s documents to cultural naming conventions, explaining that “Uchenna” and “Uche Geoffrey” are essentially the same. Ngwu also alleged Mbah’s administration is behind the smear campaign due to Nnaji’s perceived support for a different political party.
The controversy raises several questions about Nnaji’s academic and service records : Did Nnaji present a forged degree certificate to the Senate, claiming to have graduated from UNN in July 1985?
Did Nnaji submit a forged NYSC discharge certificate, and did he serve the mandatory one-year national service?
Why did Nnaji’s proxy avoid stating categorically that he was issued a degree certificate?
The situation remains tense, with both parties trading accusations and denials.
Newsflo.ng🇳🇬
