Exposed: Tinubu’s Minister Entangled In Certificate Forgery Scandal (See Photos)
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji has been entangled in a certificate forgery scandal.
A recent investigation by Peoples Gazette revealed that Geoffrey Nnaji, possesses a fraudulent national service certificate, with the State Security Service (SSS).
The recent report exposed that the State Security Service (SSS) allegedly helped in concealing the certificate forgery.
Osun Defender reports that the certificate of national service is given to young graduates who have successfully undergone the National Youth Service Corp programme.
It has been revealed that shortly after Geoffrey Nnaji was picked by Tinubu to serve on his cabinet, as tradition demands, the SSS sought to verify his national service certificate with the federal institution that purportedly awarded it, the NYSC.
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As per protocol, the SSS was obligated to notify the presidency and relevant bodies, including the Nigerian Senate, upon finding out that Geoffrey Nnaji’s certificate was fraudulent.
However, the SSS, it is alleged chose to conceal the forgery and cleared Nnaji’s nomination.
The certificate, as reported by Peoples Gazette, shows chronological and calligraphic errors, indicating a duration of 13 months, instead of the standard one year. The document also bears the signature of Animashaun Braimoh, who was not appointed to lead the NYSC until 1988, whereas the certificate was supposedly issued in 1986.
Findings revealed that all certificates issued in 1986 were signed by Etuk Akpan, who was appointed to lead the NYSC from January 1984 to December 1987.
It is also alleged that NYSC confirmed that Nnaji’s certificate is not in their records and asked him to provide evidence of his participation in the youth service.
Despite multiple requests, Nnaji has avoided commenting on the matter.
Officials said the minister ignored all invitations sent to him directly and to his aides.
The admission by the NYSC confirmed earlier claims by sources within the SSS that top officials had verified the falsity of Nnaji’s certificate, yet deliberately chose to clear him for Senate confirmation and actively assist in concealing the forgery.
“They said their duty was to clear nominees of the president and not to second-guess the judgment of the commander-in-chief,” a source told Peoples Gazette.
“My principals failed to recognise the reason the service usually gets asked to clear nominees for the president.”
The report also alleges that the minister’s degree certificate from the University of Nigeria also shows discrepancies, with his name misspelled and a chronological mismatch between his graduation date and NYSC mobilization.
Nnaji’s first name, Geoffrey, was reportedly spelled incorrectly as Geoffery on his UNN certificate.
As a result, Nnaji reportedly listed his high school certificate as his highest educational attainment in his 2023 governorship election bid in Enugu State, omitting his allegedly fraudulent university credentials and NYSC certificate.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
