The Enugu State Government has distanced itself from the ongoing certificate controversy involving the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Nnaji.

Nnaji on Monday accused the Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, of masterminding allegations of certificate forgery leveled against him.

Speaking in Abuja through his spokesperson, Dr. Robert Ngwu, the Minister described the allegation as a politically motivated witch-hunt aimed at discrediting him ahead of the governor’s alleged plan to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Mbah wants Nnaji out of his way. He has given a new name to all his problems. He is seeking a second term in office, and the only way to achieve this is to get Nnaji out of the way. He wants to join APC, but knowing that
Nnaji is there, he is not comfortable,” Ngwu alleged.

However, the state government said it has no interest in or connection to the allegations surrounding the minister’s academic records.

“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,” the Director of Information in the Ministry of Information and Communication, Chukwuemeka Nebo, said in a statement.

He noted that Nnaji had invited journalists to a world press conference scheduled for Monday at 2:00 p.m. to address the matter but failed to attend.

“A large number of Nigerian and international journalists reportedly gathered on the Minister’s invitation to hear directly from him. But rather than appear before them to answer questions and establish his innocence, the Minister absconded, leaving behind proxies who could not withstand the barrage of legitimate questions from journalists,” Nebo said.

He questioned why the minister invited the media only to delegate others to speak on his behalf, if he had nothing to hide.

The statement listed several issues the minister must clarify to Nigerians, including the authenticity of his degree certificate purportedly obtained from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in July 1985, and whether he indeed failed and reapplied to retake Virology (Course Code: MCB 431) in subsequent supplementary examinations.

It also raised concerns over discrepancies in Nnaji’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate, including inconsistencies in its numbering format and the name of the then Director-General who purportedly signed it.

“Is it true that while he claims to have graduated in July 1985, he applied to retake Virology in September 1985 and again in June 1986? Is it also true that the university informed him that he failed the course twice?” the statement queried.

The government asked the minister to explain why he submitted only his West African School Certificate (WASC) to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the 2023 governorship election, despite claiming to possess a university degree.

“These are the clarifications Nigerians earnestly yearn for, and Chief Uche Nnaji is urged to brave up to clear his name if he is truly innocent, rather than trading blames,” Nebo added.