Sir: It was only a matter of time. Everyone paying close attention knew that Uche Nnaji, the former Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, could not survive the certificate forgery storm. The handwriting was on the wall, and it finally happened. Nnaji bowed out.

The truth is simple and damning: Nnaji himself admitted that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) never issued him a degree certificate. So the million-naira question is, where did the one he brandished come from?

UNN has washed it hands off the matter. The institution categorically stated that Nnaji never completed his studies and was never awarded a degree. In short, the certificate he paraded is fake.

And that is not all. The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has also distanced itself from Nnaji’s so-called NYSC certificate, describing it as “strange.” A Premium Times investigation revealed yet another oddity, Nnaji’s NYSC record shows that he supposedly served for 13 months. Thirteen months! Even the NYSC found that hard to explain.

Of course, Nnaji claims that political enemies are behind his ordeal. But even he knows the truth, no opponent can forge a certificate on your behalf. He laid the trap himself and walked right into it.

Let’s remember the facts. Nnaji was admitted into UNN in 1981 to study Microbiology/Biochemistry and was expected to graduate in 1985. But he reportedly failed some courses and never graduated. That means for over 40 years, Nnaji neither regularised his academic records nor obtained a valid certificate, yet he rose through political ranks, occupying sensitive positions and waving fake credentials. Nnaji was careless, so to speak.

Forty years of deception finally caught up with him. And this time, not even political connections could save him. But beyond Nnaji’s personal fall lies a bigger question, how many more “Nnajis” are out there, quietly occupying sensitive positions in government, hiding behind forged papers and political influence? Some commentators are beginning to say that Nnaji’s case might just be the tip of a very large iceberg.

Zayyad I. Muhammad wrote from Abuja and can be reached via [email protected]