Less than 24 hours after the resignation of Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over allegations of certificate forgery, the Senate has distanced itself from any blame over his initial confirmation.
Senator Orji Uzor-Kalu, who represents Abia South Senatorial District, clarified that the Nigerian Senate is not charged with the responsibility of verifying the academic credentials of ministerial nominees presented for screening by the executive.
“Well, we (the Nigerian Senate) are not supposed to be looking at certificates, our duty is to screen the candidates not certificates. And the Senate did a very good job by screening him,” Uzor-Kalu said while addressing the issue.
His comments come amid public criticism of the Senate’s approval of Nnaji’s appointment on August 16, 2023, despite allegations of certificate forgery trailing the nominee at the time.
The former Abia State governor also commended Nnaji for stepping down from office amid the ongoing controversy, describing his resignation as honourable.
“I congratulate him for resigning because if you have anything that is in conflict with what you do, you quietly resign and it’s an honourable thing to do. So I don’t even think it is an issue to discuss,” he said.
When asked if Nnaji’s resignation amid a forgery scandal reflects poorly on the Southeast, its leadership, or the All Progressives Congress (APC), Uzor-Kalu dismissed the suggestion.
“No,” he replied, expressing optimism that the president would nominate a replacement, likely another APC member from the Southeast.
“When one door closes another window opens, it’s just that I pity him, he’s a very good friend of mine; unfortunately, it happened,” Uzor-Kalu added.
