A lawyer, Liborous Oshoma, has criticised the Nigerian government for failing to prosecute a former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over a certificate forgery scandal.
Mr Oshoma spoke in a video clip uploaded on a YouTube channel on 25 February.
Certificate Forgery
A painstaking two-year investigation published by PREMIUM TIMES in October last year revealed that Mr Nnaji forged his degree and NYSC certificates, which he submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate during his ministerial confirmation in 2023.
The politician resigned his position as minister barely three days after publication of the investigation.
Many Nigerians had called for Mr Nnaji’s prosecution, maintaining that his resignation was inadequate in light of his violations of various Nigerian laws, including the Criminal Code Act.
‘Uche Nnaji shouldn’t be walking freely’
Mr Oshoma said in the video clip that he was shocked to see Mr Nnaji in Lagos State, addressing business people from Enugu State, despite his certificate forgery scandal.
The lawyer faulted the Nigerian government for failing to file criminal charges against the former minister despite PREMIUM TIMES’ investigation documenting his forgery scandal.
“People like this (Uche Nnaji) should be prosecuted and banned from holding public office to serve as a deterrent to others,” he said.
He argued that the APC-led Nigerian government chose to “forgive” the former minister because he is a member of the ruling party.
Mr Oshoma argued that it is inappropriate that the federal government is often quick to investigate and prosecute poor people or those in opposition while ignoring the offences of political allies and high-profile individuals.
The lawyer stressed that such a government attitude “undermines public confidence in the nation’s justice system and creates a mindset of the principle of animal farm” where there’s no equality before the law.
“I will therefore advocate that selective enforcement by federal agencies in prosecuting corruption and fraud-related cases for political reasons, not only erode the credibility, reputation and integrity of our criminal jurisprudence, but create a mindset of the fact that one can commit any crime provided he or she is in the ruling party,” he stated.
He further contended that the federal government’s failure to prosecute Mr Nnaji for certificate forgery had emboldened him to file a suit against the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, its vice-chancellor, registrar, the Ministry of Education, and others regarding his academic records at the university.
Atiku, NBA’s silence
Mr Oshoma expressed disappointment that a former Nigerian Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, the Nigeria Bar Association and civil society organisations have relented in their initial calls for the prosecution of the former minister over the certificate forgery scandal.
The lawyer said that the Nigerian Constitution empowers the Enugu State Government to prosecute the former minister.
“If the federal attorney general is too busy to prosecute this man, at least the alleged offence was committed in Enugu State, and also he’s from Enugu State, and he was a minister in the Enugu State slot,” he said.
He contended that, in line with Section 211 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended, the Enugu State Attorney-General is empowered to investigate and prosecute the former minister for alleged forgery and related offences created by law in the state.
“If the law applies to all equally, irrespective of tribe, status or political affiliation, we would have taken the first step in ensuring the rule of law in our country,” he added.
Section 11(1a-c), 2, and 3 of the Constitution empower any state attorney-general to institute, take over, or even discuss already instituted criminal proceedings against any person in respect of any offence created by or under any law created by a state assembly.
ICPC begins investigation
Meanwhile, PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported in February that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has begun an investigation into Mr Nnaji’s certificate forgery.
Insiders had told this newspaper that the former minister could be prosecuted if the investigation shows that he truly forged his credentials.
Background
In October 2023, PREMIUM TIMES began an investigation into Mr Nnaji’s academic records.
The then-minister had submitted a degree and NYSC certificates to President Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate during his ministerial confirmation.
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He claimed to have obtained a degree certificate from UNN, where he graduated in 1985.
Apparently disturbed by the scrutiny, Mr Nnaji filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja to block both UNN and its Vice-Chancellor, Simon Ortuanya, from releasing his academic records.
Apart from the UNN and its vice-chancellor, the minister of education, the National Universities Commission, the university’s registrar, a former UNN Acting Vice-Chancellor, Oguejiofo Ujam, and the Senate of the university were listed as defendants in the suit.
But before the minister filed the suit, Mr Ortuanya, a professor, had responded to PREMIUM TIMES’ FOI letter, confirming that Mr Nnaji had forged his UNN degree certificate.
The UNN registrar would shortly thereafter corroborate Mr Ortuanya’s position, stating that although Mr Nnaji was admitted to the university in 1981, he neither graduated nor received any certificate.
NYSC authorities, in response to a separate FOI letter from PREMIUM TIMES, had disowned the discharge certificate in possession of the then-minister.
Mr Nnaji resigned from his position as minister three days after this newspaper published the investigation exposing how he forged his degree and NYSC certificates.