The House of Representatives Joint Committee has summoned several key government officials, including the Honourable Ministers of Education, Foreign Affairs, Youth Development, and Interior, alongside the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, for an investigative hearing into the alarming issue of certificate racketeering involving some Nigerians.
The public hearing, which is scheduled for Monday, May 19, 2025, aims to probe deep into the growing scandal.
This was disclosed in a statement released in Abuja on Saturday by Abubakar Hassan Fulata, Chairman of the House Joint Committee.
Also invited to appear before the Committee are representatives of the Committee of Vice Chancellors, the National Universities Commission, Penlight Media Ltd, and the Ministry of Higher and Science Education of the Republic of Benin (Ambassade De La Republique Du Benin, Abuja), among others.
Although letters had already been sent to the concerned public and private bodies, Fulata emphasized that the statement was a reminder to heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, making it clear that failure to attend would be seen as tacit support for the rot in the education sector.
“The journalist went undercover and investigated the booming business, bagged Cotonou varsity degree within few weeks as well as participated in the NYSC scheme within the shortest speed of time,” Fulata said.
He commended the investigative journalist whose undercover work exposed the depth of the fraudulent activities, describing it as an act of patriotism that triggered the lawmakers’ resolve to take decisive action.
“This unfortunate development in the education system is indeed alarming. It is even more worrisome that while most Nigerians undergo the process of acquiring educational qualifications following the laid down processes and procedures, others sneak underneath to illicitly acquire their certificates with which they obtain jobs and operate in different fields of human endeavours in this country.
“The act is not only illegal but very dangerous to our collective wellbeing, future and the socio-economic development of the country as whole,” Fulata added.
He further disclosed that several critical agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and the Nigeria Immigration Service, have yet to submit their reports to the Committee despite previous requests.
According to Fulata, 52 federal universities, 61 state-owned institutions, and 93 private universities are still yet to respond, raising serious concerns about the level of cooperation in tackling the menace.
