It has come to our attention, with considerable dismay, that certain quarters have recently propagated the erroneous narrative that Hon Chief Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, has no verifiable academic graduation record from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
This assertion is not only patently false but also stands in direct contradiction to existing institutional documentation issued by the university itself.
For the avoidance of doubt, following an enquiry submitted by Peoples Gazette on October 24th, 2023, the office of the Registrar of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka responded unequivocally. In a formal statement dated December 21st, 2023, the Registrar confirmed that Chief Uche Nnaji duly graduated from UNN in July 1985 with a Second Class Lower Division in Microbiology and Biochemistry.
It is, therefore, not only perplexing but deeply troubling that, notwithstanding this official confirmation, a contradictory claim has now emergedโone that appears bereft of substance and laden with political undertones.
We wish to respectfully call the attention of the current Vice-Chancellor, Prof Otuanya ( my very dear friend) to the imperative of upholding the sanctity and impartiality of the universityโs administrative and management processes. It is incumbent upon the university leadership to steer clear of political entanglements and to resist the temptation of weaponizing institutional records for parochial or partisan interests. May I warn that the implications of such publicity perpetrated by whosoever is enormous and may be unfriendly to Ndi Nsukka.
UNN is a revered citadel of learning, founded upon the pillars of integrity, scholarship, and truth. To allow such reputation damaging narratives to take root within or around its corridors is to betray those very foundations.
We therefore urge the university administration to cease all forms of politicization of academic records and to recommit itself to the noble mandate of institutional stewardship, academic excellence, and transparent governance.
This rejoinder serves not only to reaffirm the veracity of Chief Uche Nnajiโs academic credentials but also to defend the integrity of institutional truth against distortion.
APC youth and Student Wing.
