The federal government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has cleared the Republic of Togo of allegations that its universities are issuing fake certificates to students.
TheHintsNews reports that in December 2024, the federal government sacked some civil servants with degrees from private tertiary institutions in Benin Republic and Togo.
The exercise affected federal workers who graduated from the institutions from 2017 to date.
However, the House of Representatives is currently investigating a report by an undercover reporter exposing a certificate racketeering syndicate in Benin Republic that sells university degrees to willing buyers in Nigeria.
To this end, the Green Chamber has fixed July 10, 2025, to investigate universities from the Benin Republic. It also invited the Federal Ministry of Education to come and testify on the issue.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Public Petitions, Hon. Bitrus Laori, made this known on Thursday in Abuja while considering Petition No: 445 of 2024 by Sovereign Legal Practitioners on behalf of Stakeholders in Education against the Federal Ministry of Education over the Minister of Education’s pronouncement on fake certificates from universities in Republic of Benin and Togo.
At the resumed hearing, Laori explained that the issue of Togo had been resolved except that of the Benin Republic and thereafter fixed July 10, 2025, for continuation.
The Federal Ministry of Education was also not represented at the investigation.
Laori stated: “Petitioners, we have a letter from your counsel, who is indisposed, asking that this matter be adjourned to the 10th of July, 2025. And this matter was earlier fixed for today for the Federal Ministry of Education to come and clarify the implementation of the 2024 directive on qualifying exams.
“Also, with the earlier response we have from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the issue we have with the Benin Republic and not Togo. Of course, Togo Republic was cleared by the Ministry (Foreign Affairs). The only issue we have now is the Benin Republic.’
The chairman said, “Following the letter from your counsel, this matter is adjourned to the 10th of July. And we will still serve the Federal Ministry of Education to come and give us clarifications on the pre-qualification examinations in Benin Republic. That’s the issue that’s holding a lot of students and other graduands from the Benin Republic. So, Togo has no issue, it is only Benin.’’