*Why degrees from Chicago, Toronto should be suspended – Respondent
By OUR REPORTER, Abuja
Update from Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, has it that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government has announced fresh ban on degree certificates from no fewer than 50 universities in Republic of Benin and Republic of Togo.
The DEFENDER recalls that the action of the government was informed by a recent media report by Daily Nigerian online Newspaper, which exposed a certificate racketeering syndicate in neighbouring Francophone West African countries that specialises in selling university degrees to willing buyers from Nigeria.
In the investigation, an undercover reporter bagged a university degree from Cotonou in six weeks. The certificate and transcript bore the authentic scan code of ESGT, which is accredited by Benin and Nigeria.
Curiously, however, the certificate stipulated that the reporter commenced his programme in 2018, graduated on September 5, 2022 and proceeded to use the fake certificate to participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme without detection.
The investigation also showed that racketeering agents in Nigeria are in cahoots with top management of the university campus in Cotonou, whose registrar and English section coordinators are Nigerians.
The federal government, in its reaction, suspended the evaluation and accreditation of Beninese and Togolese degree certificates.
Typically, foreign degree certificates have to be vetted by regulators in Nigeria before the graduates involved can proceed with the compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, an important prerequisite for corporate employment.
The Nigerian Ministry of Education said certificate rackets/degree mills are among the problems it has been fighting over the years.
The suspension, it said, is pending an ongoing investigation involving the education ministries in both countries and the NYSC.a
Below are some of the Beninese and Togolese universities affected by the suspension.
BENIN REPUBLIC UNIVERSITIES
1. Institut Supérieur de Formation Professionnelle (ISFOP)
2. Lakeside University College (LUC) Benin
3. African University of Bénin
4. Afriford University, Cotonou, Benin Republic
5. Canadian International Education Institute, Benin Republic
6. Centre International Universitaire Des Meilleurs (CIUM-Bestower International University) Seme-Podji, Cotonou
7. Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologie (ESGT-Benin University)
8. Ecole Superieure de Technologie et de Gestion (ESTG-Benin University)
9. Ecole Superieure des Cadres et Techniciens, (ESCT-Benin), Benin Cotonou
10. Ecole Superieure des sciences, de commerce et administration des enterprise du Benin (ESCAE-BENIN)
11. Ecole Superieure Panafricaine de Management Applique (ESPAM-FORMATION)
12. Ecotes University
13. Edexcel University
14. Esep le berger Université
15. ESTAM University Seme Campus
16. Heim Weldios University
17. Houdegbe North American University, Benin
18. Institut Universitaire du Bénin (IUB)
19. Institut Supérieur de Communication et de Gestion(ISCG-Benin University)
20. Institut Supérieur De Management Et De Technologie (ISMT St Salomon University)
21. Institute Regional Superieure des beaux arts, de la culture et de la communication (IRSBACCOM UNIVERSITY)
22. International university of management and administration, Benin Republic (IUMA)
23. Pinnacle African University Porto Novo
24. Poma University, Ayetedjou, Ifangni
25. Protestant University of West Africa
26. Université Africaine de Développement Coopératif
27. Université des Sciences Appliquées et Management USAM
28. Université la Hegj, Benin (Semepodji campus)
29. Universitie Polytechnique Internationale du Benin
30. West African University Benin (WAUB), Cotonou
31. University of Abomey-Calavi
32. University of Kétou
33. University of Parakou
TOGO UNIVERSITIES
1. Atlantic African Oriental Multicultural (ATAFOM) University International
2. African Union University, Togo
3. African University of Science Administration and Commercial Studies, IAEC University Togo
4. Maryam Abacha American University Niger, Togo Campus
5. Centre de perfectionnement aux Technique Economique et Commerciales Université (CPTEC University) Avepozo Lome
6. IHERIS University, Togo
7. Catholic University of West Africa
8. American Institute of African
9. Ecole supérieure de formation professionnelle (FIMAC)
10. Université Bilingue Libre du Togo
11. University of Kara
12. University of Richard of Togo
13. University of Lomé
14. University of Science and Technology of Togo
15. DEFOP University of Technology
16. IRFODEL-Centre (University)
Beyond Benin and Togo, since the exposition of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Chicago State University saga in United States of Amrica, there have been increasing revelations of how some Nigerians fraudulently obtain degree certificates in foreign universities.
Foe this reason, a respondent, who refused to be named, said foe having records of academic fraud, degrees obtained from Chicago State University in United States and Toronto in Canada which certificate a Nigeria’s former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Salisu Buhari claimed, should by now be suspended while the same investigation be carried out about their integrity.
