The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, on Monday pleaded with the management of the University of Nigeria Nsukka to release his academic transcript without further delay and stop playing further politics with the vital document.
He maintained that after earning a BSc degree in Microbiology/Biochemistry with second-class honors (lower division) in 1985, the university had no authority to withhold his academic achievements.
The minister, who is accused of falsifying the certificate he gave to the government upon his appointment as a minister in 2023, defended himself during a media briefing in Abuja on Monday through his spokesman, Dr. Robert Ngwu.
Nnaji accused university officials of attempting to tarnish his reputation by giving two inconsistent reports about his certificate, all in order to appease a governor who wants him removed from office in order to strengthen his political position.
At the briefing, Nnaji presented the graduation brochure with his name as Nnaji Uchenna G and a picture of himself with other graduates from the 1985 batch, as well as another document from the registrar, Dr. Mrs. Celine Ngozi Nnebedum, indicating that he was entered in 1981 and graduated in 1985.
When asked how the names Nnaji Uchenna G, as written in his graduation booklet, and Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, as stated by the registrar as the person who graduated in 1985, could be interpreted as the same thing, the spokesman said it didn’t matter because many Igbo names mean the same thing.
The minister stated that he was surprised to learn that after the university wrote a letter in 2023 attesting to his 1985 graduation, the same institution later wrote another letter in May 2025 claiming that there was no record of his graduation from the university, accusing the vice chancellor of being economical with the truth.
The minister stated that when he learned of the institution’s intentions to tamper with his records for political reasons, he filed a judicial challenge to prevent the vice chancellor and management from carrying out their sinister plans to destroy his academic records.
Nnaji expressed regret that, despite a court order requiring the university to reveal his academic transcript, the vice chancellor has refused to do so, instead engaging in cyberbullying and a politically motivated media trial against him.
The minister said, “It is increasingly clear that this entire episode is not about education or integrity—it is about political desperation, disguised as academic inquiry. The timing, the sources, the false documents, and the paid narratives all point to a coordinated campaign to drag a reputable public servant into the mud of partisan politics.
“The University of Nigeria, UNN, Nsukka, must uphold its proud motto of restoring the dignity of man. It must regain its integrity by distancing itself from political manipulation and reaffirming the authenticity of its own official record. This is not about one man’s record—it is about protecting truth, preserving institutional honor, and ensuring that no university in Nigeria ever becomes a pawn in partisan politics,” the minister said.
