Following the directives of the Ministry of Education on the need for certificate verification of Personnel, the supervisory body of the Colleges, National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Abuja, dispatched a team to the College on 23rd April, 2019 to conduct the exercise.
The Provost of the College, Dr. Umar Hassan, while welcoming the team at a meeting held with leadership of the three unions in the College, noted that the meeting with the team would douse all tensions and apprehensions of staff that have arisen over the exercise. According to him, one of the responsibilities to of the College is to verify certificates of all staff. He therefore urged the staff to ensure they guide their wards while going to the universities to acquire certificate.
Eelier in his remarks, the team leader, Mr. Lawrence Aremu, a Deputy Director at the NCCE stated that an exercise of that nature comes with a lot of apprehensions, but assured that his team would be friendly, as the exercise would be carried out with human face. According to him, the exercise was to add value to the individual, the system and to protect national image.
While assuring the unions that nobody would be recommended for sack, Mr. Aremu described as a national embarrassment the report of a finding that pointed out that a lot of people have been holding their statement of results for years without certificates. He stated further that the exercise was also meant to put everyone on their toes to always be handy with their certificates.
Consequently, on the 26th April, 2019, the exercise came to a remarkable conclusion with an exit report briefing, which was also attended by Management staff and Union leaders. At the occasion, the team leader, Mr. Lawrence Aremu applauded the Provost, Dr. Umar Hassan for his show of humility and exemplary leadership which was demonstrated when he personally appeared before the team for screening.
Highlights of the exit brief indicate that 95.75% of the teaching staff and 96.20% of the non-teaching staff were verified. It further put the total number of verified staff at 96.06% and 3.95% as the total of not verified staff. The team also made some fundamental recommendations, among which include:
- That staff with inconsistencies in name should be advised to stick to names as officially recognized on the Staff Nominal Roll and streamline same with the ones on their certificates by the instrumentality of Sworn Affidavit,
- That staff who change names for whatever reason should be directed to get the requisite evidence/document i.e. Sworn Affidavit of Change of Name cum Newspaper Publication,
iii. That the Certificate Verification Unit should be encouraged/empowered to carry out further verification of staff certificates, and
- That the Unit should be mandated to verify the certificates of would-be staff before eventual offer of appointment as well as conducting continuous screening of additional certificates as may be presented from time to time by staff returning from study leave.
Two months moratorium should be given to those who could not present their certificates to do so.
The Provost, Dr. Umar Hassan, in his remarks appreciated all the stakeholders, staff and Union Leaders for their efforts and co-operations which saw to the success of the exercise. “the exercise was concluded without rancor or ill will”, he noted. He charged the certificate verification unit to be prepared to continue with the job of verifying the certificates of those who were not verified and those returning from study leaves.