By Terna Chikpa, Jalingo
Residents of Taraba State on Thursday urged Governor Agbu Kefas, to suspend his Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr Joseph Joshua, to face justice over the alleged Cotonou degree certificate and maintain his government reputation.
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that one Sulaiman Adamu of Jalingo local government had on January 15, 2024. Petitioned the state Commissioner for Youth and Sport before the Director, Department of State Security Services (DSS), Taraba State Command to investigate the Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Information Technology with Second Class (Upper Division) obtained by Joseph Joshua, from the University of Benin Republic in 2021.
Our correspondent reports also reports that Joshua had during the Commissioner nominee screening in Jalingo, presented before the Taraba state House of Assembly, a B.Sc certificate obtain from Benin Republic in 2021.
Mr Adamu is asserting in the petition that the Commissioner never traveled to Benin Republic for studies and as such, be sack as Commissioner in the state.
Recall that the Federal Government had suspended the evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from Benin Republic and Togo, following a shocking undercover report published by an online media organisation (Daily Nigerian), which exposed the ease with which a reporter acquired a degree from Cotonou University within six weeks, and subsequently participated in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
Following the development, residents of the state called on Governor Agbu Kefas, to suspend the commissioner and allow the security agencies to carry-out thorough investigation on the matter to maintain his government reputation.
Mr Joshua Panunga, Ayuba Kirim and Buba Alhassan who spoke to journalists, urged Kefas to ask the Commissioner to step aside and defend the petition against him.
“We wish to appeal to governore Agbu Kefas to suspend his commissioner for Youth and Sport and allow the security carry-out investigation in the petition against him.
“We are not against the commissioner but he should prove to the public that he genuinely attended the university and obtain the certificate as claimed. We want Governor Kefas to suspend him so as to maintain his government reputation,” the residents urged.
Meanwhile, Mr Joseph Joshua, Taraba State Commissioner for Youth and Sports has since the day of the petition, declined comment over the development.
