The administration of the Nigerian Army has denied having possession of the original academic credentials of former Head of State and Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Major General Muhammadu Buhari.
The revelation is coming only a few days after Buhari noted in an affidavit submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that all his academic credentials were with the Military Board.
But a source in the Nigerian Army administrative authority revealed that the board does not keep original certificates of any serving or retired officer or soldier.
Interest in Buhari’s educational qualification was roused after his party made issue out of Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) recent description of the retired General as “semi- illiterate.”
“The Army can not keep anybody’s original certificate because it is the personal property of the owner,’’ an army administrative officer told huhuonline.com.
He added that such original certificates were only needed for “sighting” at the point of entry into the military service.
The officer noted that only photocopies of credentials of officers and soldiers are kept in their personal files that were in the military secretary’s office.
The source also said there is no reason to keep the originals and it would be improper for anyone to claim that the military is in possession of their original credentials.
“The original documents and certificates of all officers are their personal property,” the source said.
