By Thomas Dixon
FREETOWN, Apr. 16 (SALONE TIMES) –Since the arrest of the founder and Chief Executive Office of a Dominion University Prof Ezekiel for operating illegal and for giving counterfeit degrees to Sierra Leoneans, a pandora’s box has been opened by the whistle blower, Dr John Idriss Lahai.
From his exposition, it seems that all sectors of life in Sierra Leone particularly the government workforce are swimming in the perilous sea of counterfeit degrees.
Dr Lahai has exposed top people in government and even challenged the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to institute investigation and charge to court those who have counterfeit academic qualification for their inappropriate rise in both the public and private sectors.
He said that part of the reason why genuine Sierra Leoneans who have educated themselves are jobless was because the public service is full of fake degree holders.
His exposition has led the National Revenue Authority asking all their staff to submit their degrees for academic audit.
It is believed that similar academic audit will be done in other government Ministries Department and Agencies (MDAs) to ascertain the academic qualifications.
Already Civil and Public Servants who claimed to have acquired academic qualification from a so called African Graduate University in Uganda that has just been discredited both in Uganda and Sierra Leone.
Another University that has been discredited is Atlantic International University (AIU) and a so called Commonwealth University based in Dubia in which people are paying up to $5,500 for their degrees.
Some Presidential appointees have also been accused of holding and moving around with counterfeit academic qualifications.
Sierra Leoneans urged President Bio to institute an academic audit as was done by President Magafuli of Tanzania to institute integrity into the government workforce again.