The Federal Government has fired some civil servants with degree from private tertiary institutions in Benin Republic and Togo.
The directive affected federal workers who graduated from the institutions from 2017 to date.
The Director of Information and Public Relations in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Segun Imohiosen, confirmed the development to one of our correspondents on Wednesday.
In August, the Federal August announced that only eight universities had been accredited to award degrees to Nigerians in Togo and Benin Republic.
This followed an undercover investigation report in which a Daily Nigerian journalist acquired a degree from a university in Benin Republic in two months and used it to participate in the National Youth Service Corps scheme.
Meanwhile, A letter signed by the National Youth Service Corps, Ibrahim A.M. Director (HRM) for the Director-General and addressed to one of its staff in Sokoto State, claimed that the government, through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (Cabinet Affairs), mandated all ministries and agencies to identify and terminate the appointment of any employees with degrees from Benin and Togo.
The letter reads: “Management is in receipt of a letter from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (Cabinet Affairs) (Extract of the Federal Executive Council), dated 30th July, 2024 on the above subject matter, directing all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to identify and terminate the appointments of individuals employed with certificates obtained from Private Universities in the Republics of Benin and Togo from 2017 to Date.
“It is regrettable to inform you that the ESAE University, Benin which you attended and obtained B.A International Relations, between 2014 and 2017 falls within the above stated category.
“In compliance with the Federal Government directive on the above, your appointment as Admin Officer II with NYSC is hereby terminated with immediate effect. You are therefore, to handover all government property in your possession to the State Coordinator before leaving.”
In January 2024, the Nigerian government had announced the suspension of evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from the Benin Republic and Togo.
Following the report, the government banned the accreditation and evaluation of degrees from tertiary institutions in Benin Republic and Togo.
The Federal Government also set up an Inter-Ministerial Investigative Committee on Degree Certificate Milling to probe the activities of certificate racketeers.
The then Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, revealed that over 22,500 Nigerians obtained fake degree certificates from Benin Republic and Togo and such certificates would be cancelled.
Mamman explained that the revelation was part of a report submitted to the Federal Executive Council by the investigative committee instituted to probe degree certificate racketeering by foreign and local universities in Nigeria.
He insisted there was no going back on the Federal Government’s decision to cancel the about 22,500 certificates awarded to Nigerians by some “fake” universities in the two francophone countries.
Mamman maintained that the decision to invalidate the certificates was not harsh as Nigerians who obtained degree certificates from such tertiary institutions dent the country’s image.
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He said, “Most of those parading the fake certificates didn’t even leave the shores of Nigeria but got their certificates through racketeering in collaboration with government officials at home and abroad.
“The fake universities capitalised on the gullibility of Nigerians patronising such fake schools. The Federal Government, through the offices of the Head of Civil Service and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, would fish out those in the government’s employment with such fake certificates. I also urge the private sector to follow suit.”
Although the exact number of affected civil servants could not be ascertained, it was gathered that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (Cabinet Affairs) had issued a memo to all the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to implement the order.
A source, who pleaded anonymity because she was not authorised to speak on the matter, disclosed that the sacking of the affected workers was based on the inter-ministerial committee’s recommendation.
The official stated, “There was a letter from the SGF cabinet affairs directing all ministries, departments and agencies of government to identify and terminate the appointments of workers employed with certificates obtained from the private universities in the Republic of Benin and Togo from 2017 to date.
“The decision is part of the recommendations of the committee set up to investigate the certificates of people who graduated from the universities.”
Our correspondent also gathered that some agencies like the National Youth Services Corps have commenced the implementation of the directive.
The NYSC Director of Information, Caroline Embu, confirmed to our correspondent that five members of staff had been sacked in line with the SGF’s directive.
She said, “Five members of staff were affected by the directive contained in the letter from the office of the SGF. No more.”
