|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Akpan David, Calabar
An educationist, Ambassador Asiwaju Busari Shaamsuddeen Akande had called for an overhaul of Nigeria Immigration Service, (NIS), as well as the National Youth Service Corps, (NYSC), for alleged collusion with agents, fraudsters and potential students for issuance of fake degrees and certificates in Benin and Togo Republics.
Last week, it emerged that an under cover reporter, Umar Audu published an Investigative report which alleged that some schools in Benin Republic reportedly issue degrees within few months upon payments of agreed sums of money.
In a statement, Akande who lives in Cotonou, Benin Republic since 2014, Akande said. “From the undercover Agent’s submissions in the Nigerian dailies, he claimed , he was rejected during verification and later went back after a month with an already stamped ECOWAS handwritten passport, not International. He also said his residency permit was rejected as it was discovered it was fake.
“Before now, ECOWAS handwritten Passport has never been an acceptable document for foreign trained graduates. How the undercover reporter used it for verification and mobilization remains a mystery”, he pondered.
He advised that the locally trained graduates be subjected also to NYSC verification.
“NYSC shall be glad they did. Just give it a trial. We are in the field and I know more of all I am talking about”, he insisted.
Akande pointed out that any graduate from any of the neighboring countries not living in such countries will definitely not have the country’s residency permit.
He explained that in recent times, residency permit is a kind of biometric system whereby it cannot be done by proxy.
“In addition, the delegate officer must be able to know you and your landlord before documentation. The Beninese are also security conscious.”
He said before such permits are given, officials will want to sight Receipts of rent, energy and water rates will also be evidences to prove.
“We also have the Nigerians in Diaspora who are saddled with the responsibility of Consular Identity cards of their ethnic groups. This is usually issued by the Nigerian Embassy in Cotonu as the case of Benin.
“Not all Nigerian students are admitted with a prerequisite of having International Passport. Many came to Benin, Togo or Ghana with only other means of identification like the NIN or Voters Cards.
“Being a member of the ECOWAS, anyone can move in and out of the West African borders without an International or ECOWAS passports.”
Akande called on higher institutions to identify the bad eggs amongst them who are involved in fake certifications and racketeering, urging them to revisit the processes of appointing agents acting as marketers or promoters.
Akande who is the regional director for Benin and Togo Republic for the American Chartered Institute of Leadership and Governance, commended the ministries of education in Nigeria and Benin Republic for moving swiftly to intervene in reported degrees racketeering.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.