Minister Uche Nnaji Absent from Press Briefing as Aide Defends Him Over Certificate Forgery Scandal

The Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, was absent at a press conference in Abuja on Monday that was expected to address allegations of certificate forgery against him.

The briefing, which was organized by his office, came two days after an investigative report by PREMIUM TIMES accused the minister of forging his University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates.

Although the event was publicized under the title “Minister Speaks,” raising expectations that Mr. Nnaji would personally address journalists, he failed to appear. His spokesperson, Robert Ngwu, represented him alongside other ministry officials.

The meeting, scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, began around 3:30 p.m. after journalists had waited for over an hour.The forgery allegations date back to July 2023 when President Bola Tinubu nominated Mr. Nnaji as part of his first set of ministers.

Critics have long claimed the minister never completed his university education, questioning the authenticity of the credentials he presented during his appointment process. PREMIUM TIMES’ investigation, conducted over two years, concluded that both the UNN degree and NYSC discharge certificate were fake.

At Monday’s briefing, Mr. Nnaji’s media team distributed two documents to journalists — a blurry image of the UNN 1985 graduating class and a letter from the university’s registrar issued in December 2023. The spokesperson maintained that Mr. Nnaji graduated from the institution; however, inconsistencies emerged.

The registrar’s letter identified him as “Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji,” while the class photo bore the name “Nnaji Uchenna G.” When questioned about the discrepancy, Mr. Ngwu dismissed it as a minor issue, insisting both names referred to the same person.

He also alleged, without evidence, that the forgery claims were politically motivated and linked to Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah. According to him, the narrative against the minister was part of a broader political plan, although he provided no proof to support the accusation.

Meanwhile, official records from the University of Nigeria have contradicted earlier claims made in Mr. Nnaji’s defense. In May, the institution’s registrar withdrew a previous letter that suggested the minister had graduated.

A subsequent confirmation from Vice-Chancellor Simon Ortuanya stated that Mr. Nnaji did not complete his degree program and therefore could not have been issued a valid certificate.When pressed on why the minister failed to attend the conference, his spokesperson offered no explanation.

The event ended abruptly after journalists were restricted from asking further questions, and no new evidence was presented to disprove the allegations.