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Speaker 1: President Bola Ahmed Tanubu of Nigeria has accepted the resignation

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of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Jeffruchen Naji,

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who had been accused of forging the degree certificate of

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the University of Nigeria in Succa and the certificate of

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completion of service for the one year mandatory National Youth

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Service Corps NYSC after he allegedly failed an exit course

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virology repeatedly at the University Nigeria. Presidency in a statement

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made available a few minutes ago by the Presidential spokesperson,

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Veyo Onnanuga, stated that President Bola Ahmed Tanubu has accepted

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the resignation of Jeffriuchen Naji, the Minister of Innovation, Science

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and Technology, following some allegations against him. President Teanubu appointed

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Naji in August twenty twenty three. He resigned today in

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a letter thanking the President for allowing him to serve Nigeria.

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Naji said he has been a target of blackmail by

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political opponents. President Talubu thanked him for his service and

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wished him well in future endeavours. Earlier, Nigeria State controlled

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media NTA had reported that the Minister of Innovation, Science

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and Technology, Whuche Jeffrey Naji has dismissed reports questioning his

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academic qualifications, describing him as politically motivated attempts to tarnish

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his image. The minister has firmly defended the authenticity of

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his University of Nigeria in Suka degree. Speaking through his spokesperson,

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Doctor Robert n g Wu, the minister said records from

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UNN confirm he graduated in July nineteen eighty five with

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a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and Biochemistry, second Class Honours,

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Lower division. He described recent reports denying his graduation as false,

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malicious and politically driven, alleging that the controversy began after

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opposition figures took key positions within the university. Niji revealed

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that the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued protective

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orders restraining the university from tampering with his records and

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directing the release of his academic transcript. Reaffirming his focus

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on national service, the minister said no amount of political

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blackmail or media trial will distract him from advancing innovation

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and technology in Nigeria. He urged the University of Nigeria

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to uphold its motto to restore the dignity of man

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and resist being used for partisan purposes. In a swift

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reaction on Tuesday, Enugu State Government denied sponsoring allegations of

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certificate forgery against the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology,

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Chief Fuche Naji, urging him to carry his cross and

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clear his name before Nigerians. The government, in a press

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statement issued in Enugu on Monday by the Director of

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Information in the Ministry of Information and Community Occasion, Mister Chukumechanivo,

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said it had no hand whatsoever in the controversies surrounding

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the Minister’s academic records. The Enugu State Government dissociates itself

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completely from these allegations. The honorable Minister must carry his

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own cross and clear his name before Nigerian’s instead of

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dragging the government into issues that are entirely personal to him,

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mister Nebo declared. The Director of Information recalled the Chief.

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Naji had invited journalists to a world Press conference scheduled

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for Monday at two p m to address the matter,

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but failed to show up. A large number of Nigerian

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and international journalists reportedly gathered on the Minister’s invitation to

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hear directly from him, but rather than appear before them

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to answer questions and establish his innocence, the Minister of

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scondid leaving behind proxies who could not withstand the barrage

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of legitimate questions from journalists who can narrate Chief Naji’s

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UNN story better than him. Why invite the media only

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to outsource the conference? Why send third parties who lack

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the answers to critical questions? If he truly has nothing

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to hide, mister Nebo queried, did he, for his screening

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present a purported degree certificate to the Senate showing that

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he graduated from the prestigious University of Nigeria in Succa

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UNN in July nineteen eighty five. Is it true that

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he deposed in a Federal High Court filing in Abuja

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that he was not issued any degree certificate by UNN

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and if so, how did he come about the degree

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certificate he presented to the Senate. Is it also true that,

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while he claims to have graduated in July nineteen eighty five,

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he applied to the university to retake virology course code

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MCB four hundred thirty one in the September nineteen eighty

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five supplementary examination having failed the course. Is it also

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true that the university, in a November eight, eighth, nineteen

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eighty five, letter, informed of Chain Naji that he again

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failed Virology Course Code MCB four hundred and thirty one

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in the supplementary examinations, but could register to retake the

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course in the June nineteen eighty six examinations provided he

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paid an examination fee of four niras four nyra. Is

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it true that on January third, nineteen eighty six, he

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again applied to retake the Virology Course Code MCB four

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hundred and thirty one examination in June nineteen eighty six,

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stating in his letter that the receipt for the payment

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of the four niras four nyra reset fee had been attached.

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Is it true that, while he claims to be in

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possession of a university degree, he only submitted his secondary

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school WASC certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission i

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NEC for his participation in the twenty twenty three governorship election.

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Why did uchen Naji’s proxy state at the Abouja press

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conference that the minister graduated while avoiding stating categorically that

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he was issued a degree certificate. Did he also present

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a purported NYSC discharge certificate showing that he commenced his

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National service in April nineteen eighty five, three months before

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his supposed graduation, and served until July nineteen eighty six,

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an unusual duration of thirteen months instead of the usual

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twelve months of national service. Whereas the CEO of the

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NYSC at the time he claimed to have undergone the

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National service was Colonel ed A Akpen January nineteen eighty

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four to December nineteen eighty seven, Huchennrg’s NYSC discharge certificate

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was signed by Colonel Anama Shawan Brimo, who was NYSC

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CEO from January nineteen eighty eight to December nineteen ninety.

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Is it true that NYSC certificates issued up till October

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nineteen ninety had six digit numbering devoid of alphabetic characters,

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But uche Naji’s discharge certificate supposedly issued in nineteen eighty

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six was numbered A two three one three zero nine,

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which includes the alphabet A and above all, is it

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a fact that he deposed to an affidavit in the

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suit he filed in court? The UNN did not issue

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him any certificate and if that is the case, Nigerians

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want to know how he came about the certificate he

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submitted to the Senate of his own free will in

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twenty twenty three. These are the clarifications Nigerian’s earnestly yearned

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four and Chief Uchennaji is urged to brave up to

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clear his name if he is truly innocent rather than

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trading blames, Nebo stressed. Daily Post newspaper had reported that

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an Abuja Federal High Court has rejected a bid by

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the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology uchen Naji to

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stop the University of Nigeria in Suka UNN from releasing

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his academic records. The Minister of Education, National Universities Commission

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nuc UNN, the university’s vice Chancellor, its registrar and the

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Senate of the institution were listed as respondents in the suit.

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An application for interim injunction filed by the Minister’s lawyer

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asked the court to restrain the respondents from acting on

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a request for release of his academic records. However, Justice

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Houser Yil were turned down the application. The minister had

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prayed the court for an order granting leave to the

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Applicant to issue the prerogative writ of prohibition on the

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three thh to fifth and the seventh respondents, the VC

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Registrar and Senate of that school from tampering with all

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continuing to tamper with the applicants’ academic records of UNN.

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The Minister also prayed for an order granting him leave

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to issue the prerogative writ of mandamus compelling the third, two, fifth,

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and the seventh respondents to release to him his academic

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transcript at the Varsity. Other reliefs sought include an order

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granting leave to the applicant traising the prerogative writ of mandamus,

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compelling the first and second respondents to ensure, utilizing their

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supervisory and disciplinary powers, that the third to fifth and

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the seventh respondents released to the applicant is academic transcript

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at the University of Nigeria in Succa. An interim order

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of injunction restraining the third to fifth and the seventh

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respondents from tampering or continuing to tamper with the applicants’

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academic records at the University of Nigeria in Succa, pending

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the determination of the substantive suit in rejecting the application.

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After listening to the council. The judge held, I have

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therefore perused the thirty four paragraph affidavit and the sixth

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paragraph affidavit a urgency deposed to buy the applicant the

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grounds upon which this application is made, the exhibits attached

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there to, and the further affidavit of six paragraphs deposed

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to buy Martin Luther Acawi. I have equally considered the

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written address of Council. I shall therefore refer to paragraphs fifteen, sixteen,

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twenty two, twenty three, twenty four, twenty five and twenty

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nine of the affidavit in support of this application, Exhibits

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one to D and paragraphs three, four and five of

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the further affidavit. I am of the humble view, from

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the facts deposed in the affidavits alongside the exhibits attached,

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that the applicant has sufficient interest in the matter to

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which this application relates. Thus this application is meritorious. Consequently,

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I hereby grant Prayer one, two and three only Prayer

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four is declined having been refused. The granting of reliefs

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one to three shall not serve as injunctive reliefs against

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any of the parties. UNN had disowned the Minister’s certificate

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in a letter addressed to Premium Times written by the

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Vice Chancellor, Professor Simon Autunie. In the letter dated October two,

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twenty twenty five, the Universe City maintained that the Minister

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did not complete his studies. We refer to your letter

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dated the twenty ninth of September twenty twenty five in

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respect of the above subject matter. We can confirm that

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mister Jeffri Uchecha Kunaji, with Matriculation number one thousand, nine

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hundred and eighty one thirty thousand, seven hundred and twenty

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fifths was admitted by the University of Nigeria in Soucca

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in nineteen eighty one. From every available records and information

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from the University of Nigeria in Succa, we are unable

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to confirm that mister Jeffrey Uchecho Kunaji, the current Minister

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of Science and Technology, graduated from the University of Nigeria

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in July nineteen eighty five, as there are no records

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of his completion of study in the University of Nigeria

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in Succa. Flowing from above, the University of Nigeria INSUCCA

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did not and consequently could not have issued the purported

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certificate or at all, in July nineteen eighty five to

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mister Jeffrey mucheccha Ku Naji, the current Minister of Science

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and Technology. This conclusion is also in consonance with an

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earlier letter dated May thirteenth, twenty twenty five, reference number

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run sr r V, issued by the University to the

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Public Complaints Commission in respect of the same subject matter.

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Copy attached. Autunia wrote Paramedi gringdi Bringi in a Mortgagica way,