The Enugu State Government has distanced itself from the raging controversy over the academic credentials of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, declaring that the issue is entirely personal and has nothing to do with the state.
The Director of Information at the Ministry of Information and Communication, Chukwuemeka Nebo, said in a strongly worded statement that the government was not in any way connected to the allegations surrounding the minister’s certificates.
Nebo’s response followed claims by Nnaji’s media aide, Robert Ngwu, that Governor Peter Mbah was behind a smear campaign aimed at discrediting the minister.
“The Enugu State Government dissociates itself completely from these allegations. The honourable minister must carry his own cross and clear his name before Nigerians instead of dragging the government into issues that are entirely personal to him,” Nebo said.
He accused the minister of avoiding public scrutiny, saying that Nnaji had invited journalists to a press conference in Abuja but failed to appear in person to address the allegations.
“A large number of Nigerian and international journalists reportedly gathered on the minister’s invitation to hear directly from him. But rather than appear to answer questions and establish his innocence, the minister absconded, leaving behind proxies who could not withstand the barrage of legitimate questions from journalists,” Nebo said.
The information director questioned why the minister delegated such a sensitive briefing to aides if he truly had nothing to hide. “Who can narrate Chief Nnaji’s UNN story better than him? Why invite the media, only to outsource the conference? Why send third parties who lack the answers to critical questions?” he queried.
Nebo went further to list a series of pressing questions the public expects Nnaji to answer regarding his university education and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) records.
He asked:
1. Did the minister, during his screening, present a purported degree certificate to the Senate showing that he graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in July 1985?
2. Is it true that he deposed in a Federal High Court filing that the university never issued him any degree certificate, and if so, how did he obtain the certificate he presented to the Senate?
3. Is it true that while claiming to have graduated in 1985, he applied to UNN to retake Virology (Course code: MCB 431) in the September 1985 supplementary examination, having earlier failed the course?
4. Is it true that the university, in a letter dated November 8, 1985, informed Uche Nnaji that he failed Virology again in the supplementary examination, but could register to retake the course in June 1986 after paying an examination fee of ₦4?
5. Is it also true that on January 3, 1986, he applied again to retake the Virology course in June 1986, attaching a receipt for the ₦4 resit fee?
6. Is it true that despite claiming to hold a university degree, Nnaji only submitted his West African School Certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the 2023 governorship election?
7. Why did his media aide claim during the Abuja briefing that the minister “graduated” without stating categorically that he was issued a degree certificate?
Nebo also raised fresh questions about the authenticity of the minister’s NYSC discharge certificate.
He asked:
- Did Nnaji present an NYSC certificate showing he began service in April 1985, three months before his supposed graduation, and served until July 1986 — a 13-month period instead of the statutory 12 months?
- How is it that the certificate was signed by Col. Animashaun Braimoh, who served as NYSC Director-General between January 1988 and December 1990, when Nnaji claimed to have completed service in 1986?
- Is it true that NYSC discharge certificates issued before 1990 carried six-digit serial numbers without alphabetic characters, but Nnaji’s certificate — allegedly issued in 1986 — bore the serial number A231309, which includes the letter “A”?
According to Nebo, these inconsistencies demand direct answers from the minister himself.
“Is it a fact that he swore in court that UNN did not issue him any certificate? If that is true, how did he come about the document he presented to the Senate? Nigerians deserve to know the truth,” Nebo insisted.
He said the controversy had become a test of the minister’s integrity and urged him to appear publicly to clear his name.
“These are the clarifications Nigerians yearn for. Chief Uche Nnaji should summon courage to explain himself before the nation, rather than trading blame or sending proxies. No one can clear his name better than he can,” the statement concluded.
The statement from the Enugu government followed a Premium Times investigation which alleged that the minister submitted forged academic and NYSC certificates during his ministerial nomination in 2023 — claims that have since stirred widespread public debate.
