Amidst raised eyebrows over their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates, two ministerial nominees appointed by President Bola Tinubu have received the Senate’s approval for their cabinet positions.
Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, a two-term House of Representatives member from Ondo State, and Hannatu Musawa from Katsina State, were submitted by the president for cabinet appointments.
Recently, Concerned Ondo Patriots, a group based in Ondo State, had submitted a petition to the Senate, urging them not to confirm Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo’s nomination due to alleged certificate forgery.
The group accused Tunji-Ojo of presenting a forged NYSC certificate during his Senate appearance, sparking accusations of perjury and falsehood.
Meanwhile, Tunji-Ojo defended himself by stating that he graduated from the University of North London and presented an NYSC certificate with issuance on February 28, 2023.
Interestingly, a Premium Times investigation revealed discrepancies in Tunji-Ojo’s certificate, including its issuance during the tenure of the current NYSC Director-General, Yushau Ahmed, who took office in January 2023. Furthermore, his state code was conspicuously absent from the 2019 Batch C, Stream II Magazine.
Hannatu Musawa, the other nominee, had faced NYSC certificate issues in the past during a previous Senate administration. Nonetheless, both nominees were approved by the Senate for ministerial roles, without clarification on the NYSC controversies.