Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has called for the Department of State Services (DSS) to be held accountable for clearing the immediate past Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr Uche Nnaji, who resigned over alleged certificate forgery.
Abubakar made the call in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja while reacting to Nnaji’s resignation from the Federal Executive Council.
Nnaji, appointed as minister in August 2023 by President Bola Tinubu, tendered his resignation on Tuesday. The president’s Media Aide, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the development, saying Tinubu had accepted Nnaji’s decision to step down.
Abubakar expressed concern that the DSS had failed in its responsibility to properly vet Nnaji before his appointment.
He said the agency’s failure to conduct due diligence had made the country “an object of ridicule,” and questioned how many others in public office might have similarly questionable credentials.
Abubakar also faulted the decision to allow Nnaji to resign voluntarily.
“He should have been summarily dismissed and prosecuted for deceit and falsification,” he said.
The former vice-president warned that allowing Nnaji to quietly exit “through the backdoor” would only encourage other forgers, impostors, and morally bankrupt individuals masquerading as public officials.
“Until this cleansing is done, Nigeria will continue to sink deeper into moral decay, economic ruin and global embarrassment. The time has come to rescue our country from the grip of deceit and restore integrity to public life,” he added.
(NAN)