For the past weeks, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security and other senior officials at NATCOM have been accused of holding fake PHD or other degrees (certificates).

However, since these revelations were made, the government of Julius Maada Bio has not released a single statement neither to deny nor to promise to investigate and take action against the accused Minister and NATCOM officials.

As a result of the inactions of the SLPP government’s silence on the fake PhDs or certificates especially when this government prided itself on delivering free quality education, citizens are forced to believe that government is giving tacit support to the beneficiaries of the fake degrees.

As a result, Sierra Leoneans both home and abroad are questioning the Bio administration’s sincerity in promoting quality aspect of the education in the country. This is because exam malpractice, faking school certificates or degrees are part of the tools that undermine quality education in any country .

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So, if President Maada Bio can continue to wine and dine with someone who had deceived Parliament, the executive arm of government and Sierra Leoneans by ignoring this serious scandalous allegations against a whole senior cabinet minister then one may wonder which kind of precedent H.E. Bio is setting for young people in the country. The government’s continuous protection of these individuals accused of buying certificates are sending the wrong impression to the children and those who are working very hard to genuinely achieve their academic credentials.

As a result of government’s protection of the accused persons, Sierra Leonean children might be asking themselves what is the need of going through academic struggle if someone can just buy a degree and use it to secure government’s lucrative job if government won’t take any action against such persons after discovery.

Pundits believe that government’s silence and refusal to come out with a statement especially to address the Senior Cabinet Minister and top NATCOM’s aspect of the scandal is sending bad impression to the minds of Sierra Leoneans both home and abroad.

This fake decree issue will give the country a long lasting negative image just like the 11 years war and Ebola especially if the government doesn’t take any action to address it immediately. This writer is calling on the Bio government to investigate and appropriately deal with anyone culpable of using faking degrees to attain the position where they are today.

Government’s silence on the fake degree issues undermines the quality aspect of the free quality education in our country.

I rest my case.