Certificate racketeering: MURIC praises FG for suspending degrees from Benin, Togo 

The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has applauded the Federal Government of Nigeria for suspending the accreditation of degrees from the Republic of Benin and Togo.

Prof. Ishaq Akintola, Executive Director, MURIC disclosed this on Wednesday in a statement made available to Afrireporters.

Recall that Umar Audu, an investigative journalist of Daily Nigeria newspaper, reported recently that he secured a degree certificate within six weeks of being admitted into one of such universities and also served as a corper in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with the certificate obtained.

The undercover journalist received both the transcript and certificate of the Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies (ESGT), Cotonou, Benin Republic after six weeks only.

While commending the Federal Government for the swift reaction, MURIC, in the statement, charged the ministries of education at both federal and state levels to be wary of holders of such certificates.

The statement added, “Those found to have been employed with them should be shown the way out. Furthermore, the security agencies should fish out those behind the fraudulent admissions within Nigeria. Those are agents of the fake tertiary institutions in faraway Benin and Togo. They should be made to face the full wrath of the law.

“We demand investigation into circumstances surrounding the clearance letter issued by the Federal Ministry of Education which confirmed that the university (ESGT) is on the ministry’s list of accredited institutions. It was this letter which enabled NYSC to accept 51 fake graduates to serve in the scheme. On its own part, NYSC authorities must take necessary action on the 51 fake corpers from ESGT who are serving illegally. They must be flushed out.

“We also advise gullible but innocent Nigerians who have obtained the certificates to quickly set the machinery in motion to correct the anomaly. They should upgrade themselves by seeking authentic university admission either within or outside the country.

“Education may be the key to technological breakthrough and the concomitant industrial progress, but half-baked education and fake certificates are deadly dynamites in the system which are capable of destroying everything that may have been achieved.

“Before we draw the curtain, we find the undercover journalist equally worthy of encomiums. He went underground to unearth this educational fraud. He put his life on the line for the sake of his country. Umar Audu is worthy of emulation by his colleagues in the Fourth Estate of the Realm.”