Legal analyst and public affairs commentator, Liborous Oshoma, has weighed in on the growing controversy surrounding the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, following fresh revelations reportedly linking him to certificate forgery.
Oshoma, speaking during an interview on Africa Independent Television (AIT), provided a detailed explanation of documents recently uncovered by Premium Times that appear to question the authenticity of the minister’s academic credentials from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
The documents, which Premium Times claims were verified by the institution, have further intensified public debate around Nnaji’s eligibility to hold ministerial office.
According to Oshoma, the records date back to 1985 and include correspondence between the minister and the university.
He noted that in June of that year, Nnaji wrote to the university requesting a resit for a biology course. The request was granted, and the resit exam was reportedly taken in September 1985.
However, the university later responded in November 1985, informing the then-student that he had failed the resit examination.
In that same correspondence, the institution reportedly offered Nnaji another chance to retake the course during the June 1986 exam cycle on the condition that he paid a fee of four naira.
“What is most concerning,” Oshoma noted during the AIT interview, “is that there is no documented evidence showing that the minister actually wrote the follow-up resit in 1986, as directed by the university.”
Oshoma emphasized that while the earlier documents confirm the initial failed attempt and outline the next steps required by the student, there is a conspicuous absence of any academic record or correspondence indicating compliance with the university’s directive.
This, he suggested, raises legitimate concerns about whether the degree eventually claimed by the minister was ever legitimately earned.
He further explained that the absence of this critical piece of documentation the 1986 resit record casts a shadow over the entire credentialing process, particularly if the degree certificate currently being presented by the minister was issued despite the unresolved failure of a compulsory course.
The allegations have triggered a wave of public concern, especially given the high standards expected of individuals in public service.
The controversy has also led to calls from various civil society organizations and opposition figures demanding greater transparency in the vetting of public officials appointed to strategic national positions.
While Minister Nnaji has not publicly addressed the latest round of allegations, earlier reports had suggested that he denied any wrongdoing, insisting that all his credentials were in order.
The matter has drawn parallels with previous high-profile forgery scandals involving public officials, which often led to legal battles, resignations, or dismissals.
In this case, legal experts like Oshoma have pointed out that failure to respond transparently may result in further reputational damage for both the individual and the administration he serves.
