By Mercy Gadia Adi
A non-governmental organization, HallowMace Foundation Africa, has demanded urgent clarification from the National Assembly and the Department of State Services (DSS) over what it described as “a catastrophic failure” in the screening of the recently resigned Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Hon. Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, following allegations of certificate forgery.
In a press release issued on Wednesday in Abuja and signed by the Foundation’s Executive Director, Ambassador Anderson Osiebe, and Head of Public Communications, Ambassador Oguh Hyginus John, the organization expressed deep concern over how the alleged forgery went undetected during Nnaji’s confirmation process.
The Foundation questioned why both the DSS and the National Assembly, despite their resources and mandates, failed to authenticate the former minister’s academic credentials before his appointment.
“If the National Assembly and DSS, with their extensive resources and mandate, could not authenticate a certificate from a Nigerian institution, what confidence can citizens have in their ability to vet appointees for critical national positions?” the statement read in part.
According to the group, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), had in May 2025 publicly disowned Nnaji’s purported 1985 degree certificate, a position the institution reaffirmed in October 2025. The group noted that such discrepancies could have been easily uncovered if due diligence had been observed during the 2023 ministerial screening.
The Foundation described the incident as a reflection of “deep institutional negligence,” pointing out that both the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs have established channels for verifying academic documents from local institutions.
“It is alarming that investigative journalists could obtain information that government agencies, with official access, failed to verify,” it added.
The statement further decried what it termed the “systemic weaknesses” in Nigeria’s screening process, including the Senate’s “bow and go” tradition for former legislators and the practice of confirming nominees without prior knowledge of their assigned portfolios.
Beyond domestic implications, HallowMace Foundation warned that the scandal has far-reaching consequences for Nigeria’s global reputation, noting that persistent cases of certificate forgery among public officials reinforce negative stereotypes and erode international trust in the country’s governance systems.
The Foundation outlined four key demands: immediate public disclosure of the screening report on Nnaji; an explanation from the DSS detailing its verification procedures; a reform of the National Assembly’s screening protocols; and a public apology from the leadership of both institutions for what it termed a “grave failure of due diligence.”
“The Nigerian public deserves transparent, accountable institutions that serve as effective gatekeepers against unqualified individuals occupying high public office,” the Foundation stated.
It reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with stakeholders to strengthen Nigeria’s governance systems and rebuild citizens’ confidence in public institutions.