By Ishaya Ibrahim
The federal government has turned the heat on the leadership of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) since report of forgery scandal involving a senior research fellow of the institute broke.
Professor Bukar Bukarambe leadership of NIIA has been directed by Abuja to explain all that they know about the scandal because the federal government believes it has the potential to undermine the integrity of the institute and image of Nigeria.
TheNiche had exclusively reported that Dr. Joshua Olusegun Bolarinwa, the head Division of Area Country Studies of the NIIA allegedly lied to the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) that he was an associate professor.
This newspaper got it on good authority from the Abuja office of the ministry of foreign affairs during the week that the Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, had requested Bukarambe to furnish him with details of the report regarding forgery scandal.
In the earlier report by TheNiche, Bolarinwa also allegedly backed his lie up with forged documents bearing the signatures of two of his colleagues; Professor Charles Dokubo (now of the Amnesty Office) and late Professor Oche Ogaba.
Ibrahim Sheme, NOUN director of publicity and media confirmed the allegation.
“He was a facilitator at the political science department but when the university discovered anomalies about his claim of academic attainment, the university asked him to provide the proof of his claim which he never did,” Sheme said.
Professor Dokubo had also told TheNiche through his spokesperson, Murphy Ganagana, that the signature Bolarinwa was parading does not belong to him.
Bukarambe and Bolarinwa had refused to speak with TheNiche on the issue, necessitating our reporter to directly contact Onyeama via a text message.
Further investigation by this newspaper also indicated that Bolarinwa is linked to triple dates of birth, a finding that has deepened the allegation around him.
In one of the claims on his date of birth, Bolarinwa claimed he was born on February 19, 1973. In another February 19, 1974, and yet another, in February 19, 1978.
While his document with the NOUN indicates he was born on February 19, 1973 and February 19, 1974 respectively, the one with the NIIA reads February 19, 1978.
TheNiche gathered that Onyeama had asked Bukarambe to respond to the allegation, especially as it concerns alledged plot to cover-up the fraud.
Wecalled Bukarambe on phone on Wednesday, December 11 to get his reaction on the advice he received from the minister, but he simply told our reporter, “I have nothing to say.”
While Abuja awaits Bukarambe’s response, it was also gathered that NOUN has blacklisted Bolarinwa, making it difficult for him to be hired even by other institutions.
Regardless, unconfirmed further findings indicated that there are subterranean moves to shield Bolarinwa from the hammer of the Civil Service Commission, the body responsible for meting sanctions to personnel involved in such misdemeanour.
Part of what TheNiche has also learnt were moves to promote Bolarinwa to the rank of associate professor and backdate the promotion to cover-up the forgery scandal.
Director of Communications in the Office of the Head of Service (OHS), Olawunmi Ogunwosunle had earlier told TheNiche the scandal was in their “purvey”, but referred our reporter to the Civil Service Commission.
When we called the Director in charge of Promotion (formally in charge of communications) at the Civil Service Commission, AK Adamson, he declined to take his calls.
Adamson also did not respond to text messages sent to him on the matter at press time.
