National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss has proposed that the government offer amnesty to holders of fake academic certificates serving in public offices, with the condition that they resign.
This suggestion comes as the Public Service Commission (PSC), the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) continue to root out public officers with counterfeit academic credentials.
Boss believes that the fight against fake academic papers in the public service can be best addressed if the government allows officials without authentic credentials to resign without fear of repercussions. She emphasized that forging academic papers is a criminal offense, stating, “If you acquire a fake degree, that is fraud; it is a criminal offense and there are no two ways about it. Whether you go on to acquire other legitimate degrees later, that does not make the criminal offense you committed right.”
Additionally, Boss proposed the introduction of a platform similar to the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) for universities to maintain student and institution data. This measure aims to curb the issuance of fake certificates and impersonation.
