FG Sacks Workers with Benin, Togo Degrees? Authority Opens Up

• The federal government has denied the report of the mass sacking of civil servants who obtained fraudulent degrees in the Benin Republic and Togo
• According to a statement from the Federal Civil Service Commission, there has not been any letter of recommendation for such action
• Former Senator Shehu Sani had earlier made the allegation, calling on the government to revert the move of sacking workers with degrees from Benin Republic and Togo

The federal government has denied claims that it is sacking federal civil servants who obtained their degree certificates from unrecognised universities in Benin Republic and Togo. The commission's denial comes after a post by former Senator Shehu Sani on X (formerly Twitter) decried the alleged sack of affected civil servants, sparking fear among federal civil servants.

According to Taiwo Hassan, the Head of Press and Media Relations, the Federal Civil Service Commission has not received any formal recommendation for mass disengagement within the civil service. Hassan emphasized that the commission holds the power to employ, transfer, dismiss, discipline, and promote, but no dismissals have been made.

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FCSC denies sacking of Benin, Togo degree holders

Vanguard reported that the situation began when the erstwhile Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, set up a panel to investigate degree mills allegedly operating from neighbouring African countries. The panel reported that over 22,000 fake certificates were obtained by Nigerians from unrecognised universities in Benin and Togo between 2019 and 2023.

The Federal Civil Service Commission's denial has relieved federal civil servants who were worried about their job security. However, fake certificates remain a concern, and it is unclear how the government plans to address the issue.

In response to the situation, some have called for a more nuanced approach, recognizing that many Nigerians who obtained degrees from unrecognised universities in Benin and Togo did so due to limited opportunities in Nigeria. Others have emphasized the need for stricter regulations to prevent the proliferation of fake certificates.

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Lawyer reacts to certificate saga

Speaking with Legit.ng on the development, Ismail Balogun, a legal practitioner, urged the government to be more careful with such a possible move, adding that the country's economic situation required a more humane approach while condemning all forms of illegality.

"While the law cannot spare any civil servant found guilty of the fake certificate issue, I think the government should conduct a thorough investigation and ensure the actual culprits are dealt with. The state of the economy did not encourage mass sacking now."

African countries that demand JAMB verification

Legit.ng earlier reported that JAMB had listed Kenya and Uganda as the African countries seeking verifications of Nigerians seeking admission to their tertiary institutions.

The examination board stated this in its 2024 policy meeting document, adding that it can not forge records until Nigerian institutions provide them.

This followed the federal government's move to suspend the verification of certificates from some African universities, including Kenya and Uganda.

Source: Legit.ng