00:00President Bola Ahmed Talubu of Nigeria has accepted the resignation of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Jeffrey Uche Nagy who had been accused of forging the degree certificate of the University of Nigeria, in Sukha and the certificate of completion of service for the one-year mandatory National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, after he allegedly failed an exit course, Virology, repeatedly at the University.
00:27Nigeria Presidency in a statement made available a few minutes ago by the presidential spokesperson, Mayo Onanuga, stated that, President Bola Ahmed Talubu has accepted the resignation of Jeffrey Uche Nagy, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, following some allegations against him.
00:47President Talubu appointed Nagy in August 2023. He resigned today in a letter thanking the president for allowing him to serve Nigeria. Nagy said he has been a target of blackmail by political opponents.
01:01President Talubu thanked him for his service and wished him well in future endeavors. Earlier, Nigeria State-controlled media, NTA had reported that the, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Jeffrey Nagy, has dismissed reports questioning his academic qualifications, describing him as politically motivated attempts to tarnish his image.
01:25The minister has firmly defended the authenticity of his University of Nigeria, in Sukha degree. Speaking through his spokesperson, Dr. Robert NGWU, the minister said records from UNN confirm he graduated in July 1985 with a bachelor's degree in microbiology and biochemistry, second class honors, lower division.
01:50He described recent reports denying his graduation as false, malicious, and politically driven, alleging that the controversy began after opposition figures took key positions within the university.
02:03Nagy revealed that the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued protective orders restraining the university from tampering with his records and directing the release of his academic transcript.
02:13Reaffirming his focus on national service, the minister said no amount of political blackmail or media trial will distract him from advancing innovation and technology in Nigeria.
02:25He urged the University of Nigeria to uphold its motto, to restore the dignity of man, and resist being used for partisan purposes.
02:34In a swift reaction on Tuesday, Enugu state government denied sponsoring allegations of certificate forgery against the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uchenaji, urging him to, carry his cross, and clear his name before Nigerians.
02:51The government, in a press statement issued in the government, in a press statement issued in Enugu on Monday by the Director of Information in the Ministry of Information and Communication, Mr. Chukwamekanebo, said it had no hand whatsoever in the controversies surrounding the minister's academic records.
03:08The Enugu state government dissociates itself completely from these allegations.
03:12The Honourable Minister must carry his own cross and clear his name before Nigerians, instead of dragging the government into issues that are entirely personal to him, Mr. Nebo declared.
03:25The Director of Information recalled that Chief Naji had invited journalists to a world press conference scheduled for Monday at 2pm to address the matter, but failed to show up.
03:35A large number of Nigerian and international journalists reportedly gathered on the minister's invitation to hear directly from him.
03:44But rather than appear before them to answer questions and establish his innocence, the minister absconded, leaving behind proxies who could not withstand the barrage of legitimate questions from journalists.
03:56Who can narrate Chief Naji's UNN story better than him?
03:59Why invite the media, only to outsource the conference?
04:04Why send third parties, who lack the, answers to critical questions, if he truly has nothing to hide?
04:11Mr. Nebo queried, did he, for his screening, present a purported degree certificate to the Senate showing that he graduated from the prestigious University of Nigeria,
04:21in Sukkot, UNN, in July 1985?
04:26Is it true that he deposed in a Federal High Court filing in Abuja that he was not issued any degree certificate by UNN and,
04:34if so, how did he come about the degree certificate he presented to the Senate?
04:38Is it also true that while he claims to have graduated in July 1985, he applied to the University to retake Virology, course code, MCB 431,
04:50in the September 1985 supplementary examination, having failed the course?
04:56Is it also true that the University, in a November 8, 1985 letter, informed Uche Naji that he again failed Virology, course code, MCB 431,
05:08in the supplementary examinations, but could register to retake the course in the June 1986 examinations,
05:15provided he paid an examination fee of 4 nairas, 4 naira.
05:19Is it true that on January 3, 1986, he again applied to retake the Virology, course code, MCB 431, examination in June 1986,
05:33stating in his letter that the receipt for the payment of the 4 nairas, 4 naira, reset fee had been attached?
05:40Is it true that while he claims to be in possession of a university degree,
05:44he only submitted his secondary school WASC certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,
05:52for his participation in the 2023 governorship election?
05:56Why did Uche Naji's proxy state at the Abuja Press Conference that the minister, graduated,
06:03while avoiding stating categorically that he was issued a degree certificate?
06:06Did he also present a purported NYSC discharge certificate showing that he commenced his national service in April 1985,
06:16three months before his supposed graduation, and served until July 1986,
06:21an unusual duration of 13 months instead of the usual 12 months of national service?
06:27Whereas the CEO of the NYSC at the time he claimed to have undergone the national service was Colonel Ede Ackpen,
06:35January 1984 to December 1987, Uche Naji's NYSC discharge certificate was signed by Colonel Anima Sean Brimo,
06:44who was NYSC CEO from January 1988 to December 1990.
06:50Is it true that NYSC certificates issued up till October 1990 had six-digit numbering devoid of alphabetic characters,
06:59but Uche Naji's discharge certificate, supposedly issued in 1986, was numbered A231309, which includes the alphabet, A?
07:10And above all, is it a fact that he deposed to an affidavit in the suit he filed in court that UNN did not issue him any certificate?
07:17And if that is the case, Nigerians want to know how he came about the certificate he submitted to the Senate of his own free will in 2023.
07:27These are the clarifications Nigerians earnestly yearn for, and Chief Uche Naji is urged to brave up to clear his name,
07:35if he is truly innocent, rather than trading blames, Nebo stressed.
07:39Daily Post newspaper had reported that, an Abuja Federal High Court has rejected a bid by the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Naji,
07:51to stop the University of Nigeria, in Sukha, UNN, from releasing his academic records.
07:56The Minister of Education, National Universities Commission, NUC, UNN, the University's Vice-Chancellor,
08:06its Registrar and the Senate of the Institution were listed as respondents in the suit.
08:11An application for interim injunction filed by the Minister's lawyer asked the court to restrain the respondents from acting on a request for release of his academic records.
08:20However, Justice House Yilwa turned down the application,
08:25the Minister had prayed the court for an order granting leave to the applicant to issue the prerogative writ of prohibition on the 3TH,
08:33to, 5th and the 7th respondents, the VC, Registrar and Senate of the
08:38School, from tampering with or continuing to tamper with the applicant's academic records at UNN.
08:44The Minister also prayed for an order granting him leave to issue the prerogative writ of mandamus
08:50compelling the 3rd, 2, 5th and the 7th respondents to release to him his academic transcript at the varsity.
08:57Other relief sought include, an order granting leave to the applicant to issue the prerogative writ of mandamus
09:03compelling the 1st and 2nd respondents to ensure, utilizing their supervisory and disciplinary powers,
09:10that the 3rd, 2, 5th and the 7th respondents released to the applicant his academic transcript
09:15at the University of Nigeria, in Sukha.
09:19An interim order of injunction restraining the 3rd, 2, 5th and the 7th respondents from tampering
09:25or continuing to tamper with the applicant's academic records at the University of Nigeria, in Sukha,
09:31pending the determination of the substantive suit.
09:35In rejecting the application after listening to the counsel,
09:38the judge held, I have therefore perused the 34-paragraph affidavit and the 6-paragraph affidavit
09:45of urgency deposed to by the applicant, the grounds upon which this application is made,
09:50the exhibits attached thereto and the further affidavit of 6-paragraphs deposed to by Martin Luther
09:55Akaui. I have equally considered the written address of counsel. I shall therefore refer to paragraphs
10:0215, 16, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 29 of the affidavit in support of this application, exhibits 1, 2d and
10:13paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 of the further affidavit. I'm of the humble view from the facts deposed in the
10:20affidavits, alongside the exhibits attached, that the applicant has sufficient interest in the matter
10:26to which this application relates. Thus, this application is meritorious. Consequently,
10:33I hereby grant prayer 1, 2 and 3 only. Prayer 4 is declined. Having been refused, the granting of
10:41reliefs 1, 2, 3 shall not serve as injunctive reliefs against any of the parties. UNN had disowned
10:48the minister's certificate in a letter addressed to Premium Times, written by the Vice-Chancellor,
10:53Professor Simon Orchulia. In the letter dated October 2, 2025, the university maintained that
11:01the minister did not complete his studies. We refer to your letter dated 29 September 2025 in respect of
11:09the above subject matter. We can confirm that Mr. Geoffrey Uchecha-Kunagi, with matriculation
11:15number 1,981, 30,725, was admitted by the University of Nigeria, in Sukha in 1981. From every available
11:27records and information from the University of Nigeria, in Sukha, we are unable to confirm that
11:34Mr. Geoffrey Uchecha-Kunagi, the current Minister of Science and Technology, graduated from the University
11:40of Nigeria in July 1985, as there are no records of his completion of study in the University of Nigeria,
11:48in Sukha. Flowing from above, the University of Nigeria, in Sukha did not and consequently,
11:55could not have issued the purported certificate, or at all, in July 1985 to Mr. Geoffrey Uchecha-Kunagi,
12:02the current Minister of Science and Technology. This conclusion is also in consonance with an earlier
12:08letter dated May 13, 2025, reference number, RUN-SR-R-V, issued by the University to the Public
12:18Complaints Commission in respect of the same subject matter, copy attached, Orchulia wrote.
Be the first to comment