the All Progressives Congress, APC, Major General Muhammadu Buhari,
retd, explained in an affidavit submitted to the Independent National
Electoral Commission, INEC, that all his academic credentials were
with the Military Board, the Army have stated that they do not keep
the certificates of any serving or retired officer or soldier.
General Buhari is contesting the presidential election for the fourth
time under different political parties including the defunct All
Nigeria People's Party, ANPP and the Congress for Progressive Change,
CPC, but the issue of his qualifications had never been controversial
until the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, recently described him
as a ''semi- illiterate.''
However, against the backdrop of Buhari's affidavit in court, a
military source said ''that the Army can not keep anybody's original
certificate because it is the personal property of the owner,'' adding
that such original certificates were only needed at the point of entry
into the service.
According to the source, the Military only kept photocopies of
credentials of officers and soldiers in their personal files that were
in the military secretary's office.
"The original certificate of any officer or soldier is only needed at
the point of entry into the service either as a cadet officer entering
the Nigerian Defence Academy, or the recruitment officers when
interviewing recruits to be sent to the depot for training. That is
so, because they are needed to verify what were in the photocopies
supplied by them or from the necessary examining bodies."
The source further stated that anybody claiming that his original
certificates were with the Military Secretary (Army), had ''ulterior
motive(s) or something he or she cannot explain.''
He further added, "Let me tell you now, in the Navy, the Navy
Secretary, NAVSEC, keep the documents of all Naval officers and
ratings and not their original certificates which are their personal
property.
--Vanguard
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