Hundreds of Nigerian Students in Benin Republic Appeal to President Tinubu Over Certificate Ban

Hundreds of Nigerian students enrolled at ESM University in the Benin Republic are urgently appealing to President Bola Tinubu for intervention following the Federal Government’s derecognition of the institution. At least 650 students, many of whom are recipients of scholarships from the Omega Power Ministry (OPM), are affected by the recent ban on enrolling in certain universities in Benin and Togo.

The Federal Government’s decision, which came after the discovery that over 22,500 graduate certificates issued by these universities between 2019 and 2023 were fake, has sparked widespread concern among the students. The derecognition means that these students could potentially lose years of academic progress.

On Thursday, scores of students and their parents held a peaceful demonstration at the residence of Chibuzo Chinyere, the General Overseer of OPM, in Port Harcourt. The students, who expressed distress over the sudden policy shift, called on President Tinubu to reconsider the decision, emphasizing its severe impact on their mental health and academic futures.

Hycenth Ikechukwu, a final-year Business Administration student, voiced his shock and disappointment upon learning of the ban just as he was approaching graduation. Ikechukwu highlighted that ESM University was accredited by the Nigerian Government at the time of his enrollment in 2019, making the situation particularly disheartening. “We urge President Tinubu to intervene and direct the Education Ministry to reconsider this hasty decision that could ruin our lives. It is not fair to ask someone in their final year to start at 100-level in Nigerian universities after years of hard work and millions expended,” he said, visibly emotional.

Moses Joseph, a 200-level Computer Science student, suggested that the government should facilitate their transfer to Nigerian universities, allowing them to submit their academic transcripts and continue their education locally. “I am willing to start at 100-level if necessary,” Joseph pleaded.

Another student, Wisdom Nweze, shared that the de-accreditation of ESM University has taken a toll on her mental health and urged the federal government to find a solution to the crisis.

In her appeal, Justin Hycenth, a blind widow, expressed devastation over the ban, which has jeopardized her son’s scholarship and future education abroad. “I am begging the government to immediately do something about this and reverse the ban,” she implored.

Responding to the concerns, Chinyere disclosed that the 650 affected students are part of over 4,000 OPM scholarship recipients studying across various countries, including the U.S., UK, Canada, Turkey, Ethiopia, and Cyprus. He also noted that the church had previously verified the accreditation status of ESM University before offering scholarships to the students.