Carry your cross, Enugu Govt tells Minister Uche Nnaji

The Enugu State Government has denied sponsoring or instigating the allegations of certificate forgery against the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Nnaji, urging him to “carry his cross” and personally clear his name before Nigerians.

In a statement issued in Enugu on Monday, the Director of Information in the Ministry of Information and Communication, Chukwuemeka Nebo, said the state government had no involvement whatsoever in the controversies surrounding the minister’s academic record.

“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,” Mr. Nebo said.

The government’s statement followed reports that Mr Nnaji invited journalists to a world press conference scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Monday to address the matter, but failed to appear.

“A large number of Nigerian and international journalists reportedly gathered on the minister’s invitation to hear directly from him. But rather than appear before them to answer questions and establish his innocence, the minister absconded, leaving behind proxies who could not withstand the barrage of legitimate questions from journalists,”
the statement read.

Mr Nebo questioned the minister’s decision to delegate such a sensitive and personal issue to aides instead of speaking directly to the media.

“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, if he truly has nothing to hide?” he asked.

The Enugu State Government said the questions Nigerians are asking about Mr Nnaji’s academic history are legitimate and deserve direct answers from the minister himself.

“Did he, for his Senate screening, present a purported degree certificate showing that he graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), in July 1985?

“Is it true that he deposed in a Federal High Court filing in Abuja that he was not issued any degree certificate by UNN and, if so, how did he come about the degree certificate he presented to the Senate?

“Is it also true that while he claims to have graduated in July 1985, he applied to the university to retake Virology (Course code: MCB 431) in the September 1985 supplementary examination, having failed the course?

“Is it correct that the university, in a letter dated November 8, 1985, informed Uche Nnaji that he again failed Virology (Course code: MCB 431) in the supplementary examination, but could register to retake the course in the June 1986 examination, provided he paid an examination fee of N4.00 (Four Naira)?

“Is it true that on January 3, 1986, he again applied to retake the same Virology examination in June 1986, stating in his letter that he had attached the receipt for the payment of the N4.00 resit fee?

“Is it also a fact that while claiming to possess a university degree, he submitted only his Secondary School WASC Certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2023 governorship election?

“Why did Uche Nnaji’s proxy at the Abuja press conference claim the minister ‘graduated,’ but stop short of affirming that he was issued a degree certificate?

“Did he also present a purported NYSC discharge certificate showing that he commenced his national service in April 1985 — three months before his supposed graduation — and served until July 1986, an irregular duration of 13 months instead of the statutory 12 months?

“Whereas the Director-General of the NYSC at the time he claimed to have served was Col. Edet Akpan (January 1984–December 1987), is it not curious that Uche Nnaji’s NYSC discharge certificate was signed by Col. Animashaun Braimoh, who only became NYSC Director-General in January 1988 and served until December 1990?

READ ALSO: Certificate Forgery: Minister Nnaji’s own letters counter his graduation claim

“Is it also true that NYSC certificates issued up to October 1990 had six-digit serial numbers made up of only numerals, while Uche Nnaji’s discharge certificate, allegedly issued in 1986, bore the alphanumeric code A231309, which includes the alphabet ‘A’?

“And finally, is it a fact that he swore an affidavit in court affirming that UNN did not issue him any certificate? If that is true, Nigerians deserve to know how he came about the certificate he submitted to the Senate in 2023 of his own volition.”

Mr Nebo said these questions were not politically motivated, but a reflection of the legitimate curiosity of citizens seeking transparency from a serving public officer.

“These are the clarifications Nigerians earnestly yearn for,” he said. “Chief Uche Nnaji is therefore urged to summon the courage to clear his name if he is truly innocent, rather than trading blames or attempting to drag the Enugu State Government into his personal controversies.”