Over 650 ESM Benin University students, parents protest in Nigeria against Tinubu govt’s ‘fake degree certificates’ declaration
By KEMI KASUMU
More than 650 students and parents of children schooling in ESM University, Republic of Benin, staged a peaceful protest in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Thursday August 29, 2024 against recent declaration by which the Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government of Nigeria called degree certificates obtained from the neighbouring countries of Benin and Togo fake.
They took to the residence of Apostle Chibuzor Gift Chinyere, who is the General Overseer of Omega Power Ministry (OPM) in the South South Nigerian city.
The DEFENDER reports that the decision of the foreign students and their parents to choose the house of the man of God as centre to draw the attention of President Bola Tinubu on the development might be because the apostle has sponsored no less than 1,500 students who are currently studying various courses across all levels of study at the Cotonou-based University.
Addressing the protesters, Apostle Chiuzor said before he sent students to ESM Benin University, he made enquiries about it at the Federal Ministry of Education in Nigeria and it was confirmed to him that the university is genuine before he paid the first school fees.
Many other stakeholders including groups of owners and registrars of private universacross West Africa especially in Benin and Togo have been reacting to the development.
Specifically, authorities of Benin and Togo debunked the claim by Nigerian Minister of Education that only five and three universities (excluding private universities) are accredited to run degree awarding programmes, saying they did not authorise the information he used.
From a guide published by Benin Ministry of High Education obtained and reported earlier by The DEFENDER in Nigeria, there are over 36 private universities accredited by the francophone countries to run degree programmes.
NANS Diaspora, in a paid advert published in pages 32 – 33 of Vangiard Newspaper on Thursday August 29, 2024, also confirmed.
