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Nigeria Minister Resigns After He Allegedly Forged UNN, NYSC Certificates
https://osazuwaakonedo.news/nigeria-minister-resigns-after-he-allegedly-forged-unn-nysc-certificates/07/10/2025/
#Breaking News #Nnaji #Nsukka #NYSC #UNN ©October 7th, 2025 ®October 7, 2025 10:27 pm President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria has accepted the resignation of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Uche Nnaji who had been accused of forging the Degree certificate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the certificate of completion of service for the one year mandatory National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, after he allegedly failed an exit course, "Virology" repeatedly at the University. #OsazuwaAkonedo
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0:00
President Bola Ahmed Tonubu of Nigeria
0:02
has accepted the resignation of the
0:04
Minister of Innovation, Science and
0:07
Technology, Jeffrey Uucha Naji, who had
0:09
been accused of forging the degree
0:11
certificate of the University of Nigeria
0:14
in Suker and the certificate of
0:16
completion of service for the one-year
0:18
mandatory National Youth Service Corps
0:20
NYC after he allegedly failed an exit
0:23
course viology repeatedly at the
0:26
university. Nigeria presidency in a
0:29
statement made available a few minutes
0:31
ago by the presidential spokesperson Beo
0:34
Onuga stated that President Bola Ahmed
0:38
Tonubu has accepted the resignation of
0:40
Jeffrey Uchain Naraji the minister of
0:42
innovation science and technology
0:45
following some allegations against him.
0:48
President Tonubu appointed Naji in
0:50
August 2023. He resigned today in a
0:53
letter thanking the president for
0:55
allowing him to serve Nigeria. Naji said
0:58
he has been a target of blackmail by
1:00
political opponents. President Tonubu
1:03
thanked him for his service and wished
1:05
him well in future endeavors. Earlier
1:09
Nigeria state controlled media NTA had
1:12
reported that the minister of innovation
1:15
science and technology which Jeffrey
1:17
Naraji has dismissed reports questioning
1:20
his academic qualifications describing
1:22
him as politically motivated attempts to
1:24
tarnish his image. The minister has
1:27
firmly defended the authenticity of his
1:29
University of Nigeria insuka degree.
1:33
Speaking through his spokesperson, Dr.
1:36
Robert NGWU,
1:38
the minister said records from UNN
1:40
confirm he graduated in July 1985 with a
1:44
bachelor's degree in microbiology and
1:46
biochemistry, secondclass honors, lower
1:49
division. He described recent reports
1:52
denying his graduation as false,
1:54
malicious, and politically driven,
1:57
alleging that the controversy began
1:58
after opposition figures took key
2:00
positions within the university. Naji
2:03
revealed that the Federal High Court in
2:05
Abuja has issued protective orders
2:07
restraining the university from
2:09
tampering with his records and directing
2:11
the release of his academic transcript.
2:14
Reaffirming his focus on national
2:16
service, the minister said no amount of
2:18
political blackmail or media trial will
2:21
distract him from advancing innovation
2:23
and technology in Nigeria. He urged the
2:26
University of Nigeria to uphold its
2:28
motto to restore the dignity of man and
2:31
resist being used for partisan purposes.
2:34
In a swift reaction on Tuesday, Enugu
2:37
state government denied sponsoring
2:39
allegations of certificate forgery
2:41
against the Minister of Innovation,
2:44
Science and Technology, Chief Uuchari,
2:47
urging him to carry his cross and clear
2:50
his name before Nigerians. The
2:52
government in a press statement issued
2:54
in Anugu on Monday by the director of
2:57
information in the ministry of
2:59
information and communication, Mr. Chuku
3:01
Mechanibbo said it had no hand
3:03
whatsoever in the controversies
3:05
surrounding the minister's academic
3:07
records. The Enugu state government
3:10
dissociates itself completely from these
3:12
allegations. The honorable minister must
3:15
carry his own cross and clear his name
3:17
before Nigerians. Instead of dragging
3:19
the government into issues that are
3:21
entirely personal to him, Mr. Nebo
3:24
declared. The director of information
3:26
recalled that Chief Naraji had invited
3:28
journalists to a world press conference
3:31
scheduled for Monday at 2 p.m. to
3:33
address the matter but failed to show
3:35
up. A large number of Nigerian and
3:38
international journalists reportedly
3:40
gathered on the minister's invitation to
3:42
hear directly from him. But rather than
3:44
appear before them to answer questions
3:46
and establish his innocence, the
3:48
minister absconded, leaving behind
3:51
proxies who could not withstand the
3:53
barrage of legitimate questions from
3:54
journalists. Who can narrate Chief
3:57
Naraji's UNN story better than him? Why
4:00
invite the media only to outsource the
4:03
conference? Why send third parties who
4:06
lack the answers to critical questions
4:09
if he truly has nothing to hide? Mr.
4:12
Neibo queried did he for his screening
4:15
present a purported degree certificate
4:17
to the Senate showing that he graduated
4:19
from the prestigious University of
4:21
Nigeria in Suka UN in July 1985.
4:26
Is it true that he deposed in a federal
4:28
high court filing in Abuja that he was
4:30
not issued any degree certificate by UNN
4:33
and if so how did he come about the
4:36
degree certificate he presented to the
4:38
Senate? Is it also true that while he
4:40
claims to have graduated in July 1985,
4:44
he applied to the university to retake
4:46
viology course code MCB 431 in the
4:51
September 1985 supplementary examination
4:54
having failed the course. Is it also
4:57
true that the university in a November
4:59
8th, 1985 letter informed Narji that he
5:03
again failed vyology course code MCB 431
5:08
in the supplementary examinations but
5:11
could register to retake the course in
5:12
the June 1986 examinations provided he
5:16
paid an examination fee of 4 naira 4
5:19
naira. Is it true that on January 3rd,
5:22
1986, he again applied to retake the
5:25
viology course code MCB 431
5:30
examination in June 1986,
5:33
stating in his letter that the receipt
5:34
for the payment of the four naira 4
5:37
naira reset fee had been attached. Is it
5:40
true that while he claims to be in
5:42
possession of a university degree, he
5:45
only submitted his secondary school WC
5:48
certificate to the Independent National
5:50
Electoral Commission, INEC, for his
5:52
participation in the 2023 governorship
5:55
election? Why did Naji's proxy state at
5:59
the Abuja press conference that the
6:01
minister graduated while avoiding
6:03
stating categorically that he was issued
6:05
a degree certificate? Did he also
6:08
present a purported NYSC discharge
6:11
certificate showing that he commenced
6:12
his national service in April 1985,
6:16
3 months before his supposed graduation,
6:19
and served until July 1986, an unusual
6:22
duration of 13 months instead of the
6:24
usual 12 months of national service.
6:28
Whereas the CEO of the NYSC at the time
6:31
he claimed to have undergone the
6:32
national service was Colonel Ed Apen
6:35
January 1984 to December 1987 which
6:39
Naraji's NYSC discharge certificate was
6:42
signed by Colonel Anamashon Brimo who
6:45
was NYC CEO from January 1988 to
6:48
December 1990.
6:51
Is it true that NYC certificates issued
6:53
up till October 1990 had six-digit
6:56
numbering devoid of alphabetic
6:58
characters, but discharge certificate
7:02
supposedly issued in 1986 was numbered
7:05
A231309
7:07
which includes the alphabet A. And above
7:10
all, is it a fact that he deposed to an
7:13
affidavit in the suit he filed in court
7:15
that UNN did not issue him any
7:17
certificate? And if that is the case,
7:20
Nigerians want to know how he came about
7:22
the certificate he submitted to the
7:24
Senate of his own free will in 2023.
7:28
These are the clarifications Nigerians
7:30
earnestly yearn for and Chief Uchain
7:32
Naraji is urged to brave up to clear his
7:34
name if he is truly innocent rather than
7:37
trading blames. Neibo stressed. Daily
7:40
Post newspaper had reported that an
7:43
Abuja federal high court has rejected a
7:45
bid by the Minister of Innovation,
7:47
Science and Technology UI to stop the
7:51
University of Nigeria in Suka UN from
7:55
releasing his academic records. The
7:58
minister of education, national
8:00
universities commission, NU unn the
8:04
university's vice chancellor, its
8:06
registar and the senate of the
8:08
institution were listed as respondents
8:10
in the suit. An application for interim
8:13
injunction filed by the minister's
8:14
lawyer asked the court to restrain the
8:16
respondents from acting on a request for
8:18
release of his academic records.
8:21
However, Justice Housewa turned down the
8:24
application. The minister had prayed the
8:27
court for an order granting leave to the
8:29
applicant to issue the prerogative writ
8:31
of prohibition on the threeth to fifth
8:34
and the seventh respondents the VC
8:36
registar and senate of the school from
8:39
tampering with or continuing to tamper
8:41
with the applicant's academic records at
8:44
UN. The minister also prayed for an
8:47
order granting him leave to issue the
8:49
prerogative writ of mandamus compelling
8:51
the third, two, fifth and the seventh
8:53
respondents to release to him his
8:55
academic transcript at the varsity.
8:57
Other reliefs sought include an order
9:00
granting leave to the applicant to issue
9:02
the prerogative writ of mandamus
9:04
compelling the first and second
9:05
respondents to ensure utilizing their
9:08
supervisory and disciplinary powers that
9:10
the third to fifth and the seventh
9:12
respondents released to the applicant
9:14
his academic transcript at the
9:16
University of Nigeria in Suka. an
9:19
interim order of injunction restraining
9:21
the third, two, fifth, and the seventh
9:24
respondents from tampering or continuing
9:26
to tamper with the applicant's academic
9:28
records at the University of Nigeria in
9:31
Suka pending the determination of the
9:33
substantive suit. In rejecting the
9:36
application after listening to the
9:37
council, the judge held, "I have
9:40
therefore perused the 34 paragraph
9:42
affidavit and the six paragraph
9:44
affidavit of urgency deposed to by the
9:46
applicant, the grounds upon which this
9:48
application is made, the exhibits
9:51
attached there to, and the further
9:52
affidavit of six paragraphs deposed to
9:54
by Martin Luther Aawi. I have equally
9:58
considered the written address of
9:59
council. I shall therefore refer to
10:01
paragraphs 15, 16, 22, 23, 24, 25, and
10:08
29 of the affidavit in support of this
10:11
application, exhibits 1, 2D, and
10:13
paragraphs 3, 4, and five of the further
10:16
affidavit. I'm of the humble view from
10:19
the facts deposed in the affidavit
10:21
alongside the exhibits attached that the
10:24
applicant has sufficient interest in the
10:26
matter to which this application
10:27
relates. Thus, this application is
10:30
meritorious. Consequently, I hereby
10:33
grant prayer 1, 2, and three only.
10:36
Prayer four is declined, having been
10:39
refused. The granting of reliefs 1, 2,
10:42
three shall not serve as injunctive
10:44
reliefs against any of the parties. UN
10:47
had discerned the minister's certificate
10:49
in a letter addressed to Premium Times
10:52
written by the vice chancellor,
10:53
Professor Simon Oruna. In the letter
10:56
dated October 2nd, 2025, the university
11:00
maintained that the minister did not
11:02
complete his studies. We refer to your
11:04
letter dated the 29th of September 2025.
11:08
In respect of the above subject matter,
11:11
we can confirm that Mr. Jeffrey
11:13
Uchukunagi
11:14
with metriculation number 1,98130,725ths
11:21
was admitted by the University of
11:23
Nigeria in Suka in 1981.
11:26
From every available records and
11:28
information from the University of
11:30
Nigeria in Suka, we are unable to
11:33
confirm that Mr. Jeffrey Uetchukunagi,
11:36
the current minister of science and
11:38
technology, graduated from the
11:40
University of Nigeria in July 1985. As
11:44
there are no records of his completion
11:45
of study in the University of Nigeria,
11:48
Insuka flowing from above, the
11:51
University of Nigeria Insuka did not and
11:54
consequently could not have issued the
11:56
purported certificate or at all in July
11:59
1985 to Mr. Jeffrey Uchukunagi, the
12:03
current Minister of Science and
12:04
Technology. This conclusion is also in
12:07
conssonance with an earlier letter dated
12:09
May 13th, 2025. Reference number run SR
12:14
RV V issued by the university to the
12:17
public complaints commission in respect
12:19
of the same subject matter. Copy
12:22
attached. bought you on your road.
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