Former Minister of Sports and Youth, Solomon Dalung, has explained why he posted his academic records on social media. On Saturday, Dalung shared his 1990 West African Education Council (WAEC) certificate, Certificate of Call to the Bar, Bachelor of Law, and Master of Laws certificates from the University of Jos on X.
While some Nigerians interpreted his action as a reference to the controversy over President Bola Tinubu’s academic records, Dalung explained that his intention was to allow for public scrutiny. He stated that the ongoing intense national and international controversy surrounding academic credentials in Nigeria has made everyone in the country who possesses a certificate a suspect.
Thus, Dalung voluntarily made his credentials available for public scrutiny to clear any doubts about his qualifications. He also challenged anyone who is not satisfied with his credentials to compel the University of Jos to release his transcript.
Although Dalung has respect for Tinubu and was not mocking him over the certificate issue, he believed that the President’s team not only mismanaged the issue but also inadvertently exacerbated the problem. He argued that the President and his political allies are going from one court to another in America and Nigeria regarding their credentials, making the certificate issue more complicated.
Dalung criticized the President’s handlers for creating more problems than solutions with their approach to the certificate issue. He stated that the more they talk, the more they introduce new issues that people capitalize on to add more burden on the President. Ultimately, Dalung’s action was to encourage transparency and accountability and to avoid unnecessary distractions that could harm the President and the country.