*Tinubu accepts resignation letter
In what can be regarded as litmus test for integrity and honesty in public service, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, has resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, following his alleged involvement in falsification of academic records and certificate forgery.
Nnaji, who was appointed in August 2023, announced his resignation in a letter to the President on Tuesday, expressing appreciation for the opportunity to serve the country.
In his resignation letter, Nnaji said it is regrettable that he had become the target of political blackmail and orchestrated attacks by opponents, a situation he described as “distracting and inconsistent with the dignity of public office.
The former minister was further quoted as saying that, “I consider it necessary to step aside to protect the integrity of the government I serve and to allow for an independent review of the allegations”.
Confirming the development in a statement made available on Tuesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, following some allegations against him. President Tinubu appointed Nnaji in August 2023.
“He resigned today in a letter thanking the President for allowing him to serve Nigeria. Nnaji said he has been a target of blackmail by political opponents. President Tinubu thanked him for his service and wished him well in future endeavors”.
It is instructive to note that Nnaji’s resignation comes amid a lingering controversy over alleged certificate forgery and questions surrounding his academic qualifications from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
Incidentally, Nnaji and the Enugu State Government had traded words over allegations that he presented forged certificates.
The dispute intensified after the Federal High Court in Enugu rejected Nnaji’s bid to stop the University of Nigeria from releasing his academic records.
The court had held that the institution was within its rights to release the minister’s academic details in response to a Freedom of Information request, a decision that fuelled further public scrutiny.
But the former minister has insisted that he was being blackmailed by political opponents determined to tarnish his reputation.
Nnaji, a former Commissioner in Enugu State and technology entrepreneur, had been overseeing several reform initiatives in Nigeria’s science and innovation sector before his sudden resignation on Tuesday
