The bitter controversy surrounding the academic credentials of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, escalated Monday as his media team publicly accused Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah of orchestrating a politically motivated smear campaign.
The Minister’s aide, Robert Ngwu, denied allegations that Chief Nnaji forged his University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates. He alleged that the persistent attacks were being driven by Governor Mbah to discredit the Minister.
“The governor had given a new name to all his problems — Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji,” Ngwu claimed during a press conference in Abuja, suggesting the governor views the Minister as a political obstacle.
Governor Denies Involvement
In a swift reaction, the Enugu State Government denied any connection to the scandal.
Chukwuemeka Nebo, Director of Information at the Enugu State Ministry of Information and Communication, demanded that the Minister personally address the public queries.
“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,” Nebo stated.
Scrutiny Over Credentials Deepens
The Minister’s spokesman maintained that Nnaji graduated from UNN in 1985 and had formally requested his academic transcript to clear his name, but alleged that the document was being withheld despite a court order.
However, the state government outlined a series of pointed questions the Minister has failed to answer, focusing on reported discrepancies and admissions made in court.
Nebo challenged the Minister’s affidavit filed in court: “Is it a fact that he deposed to an affidavit in the suit he filed in court that UNN did not issue him any certificate? And if that is the case, Nigerians want to know how he came about the certificate he submitted to the Senate of his own free will in 2023.”
The Director also questioned the Minister’s decision to use a proxy at the press briefing, asking, “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?”
The controversy follows reports that UNN disowned the degree certificate submitted by Nnaji, claiming he did not complete his studies, a claim which the Minister’s side continues to dispute.
