Frontline Nigerian civil rights activists who converged on Lagos State have have called on President Bola Tinubu to ensure the immediate prosecution of the former minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr Uche Nnaji, over alleged certificate forgery.
They said his resignation from the cabinet should not atone for the offence of multiple certificate forgery.
In his address at a press conference held in Lagos by concerned lawyers and public interest analysts on the certificate forgery allegations against former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology in Nigeria, Lawyer and public interest advocate, Liborous Oshoma, commended the efforts of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) but decried the undue delays in bringing the former minister to justice.
Liborous flanked by the President, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Debo Adeniran, Secretary General, Movement for Nigeria Restructuring, Fred Nzeako, Director, Commonwealth Institute, Professor Anthony Kila, renowned constitutional Lawyer Jiti Ogunye, among others the delay once again, brings to the fore the speed with which the nation’s system brings the poor, average, and unconnected Nigerian to justice as against and snail speed, silence, and even inaction when it comes to the rich and influential.
He said, “A nation that has different rules for the rich and the poor digs the grave of democracy and the rule of law.
So, we use this opportunity to call on President Bola Tinubu and his government to make sure that this matter is no longer swept under the carpet by powerful individuals within and outside government.
We note that, beyond the alleged forgeries, Mr Uche Nnaji enjoyed salaries, allowances, and perks of office. At the same time, he served as minister, an office he obtained under the pretence that he holds both a UNN degree certificate and a NYSC discharge certificate. This raises a case of obtaining by pretence, which must not be swept under the carpet.
We demand a refund of all the salaries and allowances he drew from the Federal Government from 2023 to October 2025. This restitution is not only just, but also serves as a deterrent to others, who may want to toe this same line.”
They called on the federal government to review all official actions and decisions taken by Mr Nnaji as minister, saying it is no brainer that a man who allegedly made false claims about his certificates could not have taken actions and decisions that undermined public interest and promoted personal gain.
It would be recalled that the former minister resigned from President Tinubu’s government over allegations of unethical disclosure, document tampering, and political manipulation of his academic records.
