The National Association of Nigerian Students in Benin Republic has called on the Federal Government to show leniency as a ban on the validation of degree certificates from the country and Togo affects approximately 15,000 Nigerian students in Benin.
The call comes in the wake of a report revealing how a degree was obtained in under two months from a university in Benin Republic, prompting the government’s ban on certificate validation.
The President of NANS in Benin Republic, Ugochukwu Favour, made the appeal on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, on Thursday stating, “For now, I will say that the Federal Government should look into the issue. Now, you can’t punish everyone because it involved close to 15,000 students in Benin Republic.”
Favour emphasized that legitimate students should not bear the brunt of the ban, urging the government to investigate the matter thoroughly and punish those directly involved.
He revealed that NANS in Benin Republic has formed a committee to probe the issue, expressing confidence in the committee’s findings to prevent future occurrences.
“I have really not validated if it has been happening for a long time. This is just like what just came out on social media, and we are still trying to find out how long it has been happening.”
“So, that is why I set up a committee as the president to investigate it,” said Favour.
The Federal Government, in response to the certificate racketeering scandal, had announced plans to go after Nigerians with fake degree certificates.
Education Minister Tahir Mamman, speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, stated, “I have no sympathy for such people. Instead, they are part of the criminal chain that should be arrested.”
Mamman emphasized that there is no timeframe to criminality, and security agencies would trace individuals involved in the system.
The initial ban affected the accreditation and evaluation of degree certificates from Benin Republic and Togo, with the minister indicating a possible extension to other African countries.
He mentioned, “We are going to extend the dragnet to countries like Uganda, Kenya, even Niger [Republic] here where such institutions have been set up.”
