The Federal Government has dismissed reports claiming that it has started sacking workers who hold degrees from unaccredited universities in Benin Republic and Togo. These rumors had emerged following statements made by former Senator Shehu Sani, who alleged that many Nigerians with degrees from these institutions, who had secured jobs and built families, were now facing mass sackings.
Sani, in a post on X, appealed to the government to reconsider such actions and suggested that affected individuals be given the opportunity to obtain Nigerian degrees through the open university system. However, a representative from the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) swiftly responded, clarifying that no such mass dismissals were taking place.
The FCSC representative emphasized that no formal recommendation for such actions had been made. He assured that any decisions regarding employment would follow due processes and be based on official procedures. "At our end, there is no disengagement for now," he stated, explaining that the commission had not received any official requests to dismiss individuals with degrees from unaccredited institutions.
The representative further noted that while the commission holds the authority to employ, transfer, discipline, and promote staff, no dismissals were underway. "If there were any plans for disengagement, they would be publicly disclosed," he said.
Earlier this year, a government investigation uncovered that over 22,000 Nigerians had obtained degrees from unrecognized universities in Benin Republic and Togo. The investigation revealed that many of these individuals had bypassed the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program, making it difficult to identify them. The panel leading the investigation, headed by Prof. Jubril Aminu, discovered that several of the institutions in question were not accredited to offer degree programs, even within the countries where they were based.
Prof. Aminu expressed concern about the widespread use of fake certificates obtained from these unaccredited universities to secure jobs in both government and private sectors. "Sadly, these people have used fake certificates to apply for and secure job opportunities, while those who studied diligently are still searching for employment," he remarked. He also revealed that some of these individuals may not have even attended the institutions physically.
The investigation further revealed that many of these individuals had taken advantage of the lack of oversight to secure job opportunities with the mindset that they had studied abroad, despite the questionable legitimacy of their degrees.
