A human rights group in Nigeria, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) has called on the newly appointed Minister of Defence, Monsur Dan-Ali and the authorities of the Nigerian Army to produce President Muhammadu Buhari’s certificate obtained at the secondary school level.
The issue of Buhari’s original West African Secondary School Certificate (WAESC or SSCE or WAEC certificate) was a hot topic during the 2015 Presidential Elections, was reportedly not in the custody of the Nigerian Army as submitted by then, candidate Buhari.
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In response to media enquiries on the failure of Buhari to submit his original WAEC certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as required by the law, the Nigerian Army, which was being led by then Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Kenneth Minimah, had said that it was not in possession of Buhari’s certificate.
Presenting the WAEC certificate to INEC is a requisite to contest for the office of President of Nigeria, but General Buhari insisted that his original WAEC certificate was with the authority of the Nigerian Army.
The rights group also gave the seven (7) days ultimatum to the appropriate authorities that kept the President Buhari’s WAEC certificate prior to the 2015 Presidential election, as alleged by the candidate Buhari. According to the statement, the group insists that failure of President Buhari to order the authorities of Nigeria Army as their Commander-in-Chief now, to release his original WAEC certificate for which he used to be enlisted in the Nigeria Army, would amount to having deceived the Nigerian people by the acclaimed incorruptible President Buhari.
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Reacting to the statement credited to the new Defence Minister, Monsur Dan-Ali who flayed the then Chief of Army Staff for allegedly causing the “disappearance of the controversial certificate for political reason in support of former President Goodluck Jonathan re-election bid”, saying that most of the newly sworn ministers by president Buhari were not round peg in a round hole but just “noisemakers”.
In a statement issued and signed by the CHRSJ’s executive chairman, Alimi Sulaiman Adeniyi, a copy of which was delivered to The Trent by email on Sunday, November 15, 2015, the group urged the concerned military authorities under the new Defence Minister and Chief of Army Staff to produce the President’s original Secondary School Certificate or WAEC certificate in their custody to calm the nerves of “doubting Thomases” in country.
The group added that if the current Head of Nigeria’s Military formations could not provide the original WAEC Secondary School certificate of President within seven(7) days, they should bury their face in shame.
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Comrade Sulaiman stressed that Defence Minister, Monsur Dan-Ali has opened the old wound of having un-certificated secondary school leaver as elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria noting that some Nigerians were not happy with the failure of General Buhari to attach the photocopy of his original Secondary School Certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) form CF 001 as stipulated by the INEC form, Electoral Act 2010 and amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria respectively.
According to Sulaiman, “Following the recent statement credited to the new Defence Minister, Monsur Dan-Ali over disappearance of the purported original Secondary School Certificate of General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) in the custody of Nigerian Army which General Buhari claimed to be with the country’s Military authority, prior to the 2015 presidential election.
“General Buhari has become elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria now and he is the Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces, no Military authority will have temerity to keep his Military Service file now and he should not hesitate to order them to bring out his (Buhari) original controversial Secondary School Certificate now within seven (7) days for “doubting Thomas” to see.
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“We believe that if you are preaching equity, you must come with clean hands. Failure to bring the Certificate out within the stipulated time would tantamount to the country being governed by the un-certificated President and former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Kenneth Minimah will be vindicated for saying the truth that the controversial Buhari’s certificate was not with the authority of the Nigerian Army then and new Defence Minister, Monsur Dan-Ali, would be disappointed.
“CHRSJ leader therefore maintained that the group would not hesitate to write the International Communities as being empowered by the Freedom of Information Act, to prevail on the authority of the Nigerian Army to bring out the controversial original Secondary School Certificate of Mr. President, explaining that the human rights group would not allow the Nigerian Army and President Muhammadu Buhari to lay down bad precedent in our democratic system,” the statement concluded.
