The House of Representatives has taken a significant step towards investigating officials from various Federal Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) who are allegedly involved in a certificate racketeering scheme that is negatively impacting Nigerian students.
The decision to conduct the investigation was made after a motion was put forward and approved during a session in the House on Wednesday.
The motion, which was presented by Abubakar Fulata, the representative of Birniwa/Guri/Kiri-Kasamma Federal Constituency of Jigawa State, emphasized the importance of addressing the issue of certificate racketeering. This issue came to light when a Nigerian journalist named Umar Audu managed to obtain a degree from a university in Cotonou, Benin Republic, in just six weeks.
Following this, Audu was able to participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
The House of Representatives has recognized the seriousness of this matter and has taken the necessary steps to investigate and address the alleged involvement of government officials in this certificate racketeering scheme.
In December 2022, Audu made accusations against officials from the Ministry of Education, claiming they were involved in a racketeering syndicate. This led to widespread criticism.
The House of Representatives has pledged to identify officials from government agencies and students who have been involved in these activities at educational institutions and their campuses over the past decade.
The purpose of this investigation is to reveal the full extent of the alleged racketeering and to hold those responsible accountable for undermining the integrity of educational processes and certifications.
