Fake Degree Audit Committee Dies as Yumkella Loses His Seat

In the recently conducted elections where many political pundits thought that it was run through a system that will favor smaller parties to secure Parliamentary sits, Dr. Kandeh Yumkella lost his sit in Kambia and he was the chairman of the Fake Degree Audit Committee set up to crush the existence of counterfeit degrees in all MDAs and government institutions.

Sierra Leoneans have asked many questions with regards what will happen to the Fake Degree Audit Committee in Parliament now that Dr Kandeh Yumkella has woefully lost his parliamentary seat in Kambia District.

It could be recalled that, the former Coalition for Change (C4C) Member of Parliament (MP), Hon Paul Saa Sam informed the Speaker, about a motion he raised in the Well of Parliament for certificates audit. He said the aim of raising the “Certificates Audit Motion” in Parliament was to save the integrity of Sierra Leone, adding that the objective stemmed from the disclosure of fake degree holders including PhDs in government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAS).

According to MP Saa Sam, the news about Dominion Christian University in Sierra Leone has the tendency to put the integrity of reputable Sierra Leoneans at stake in terms of academic qualifications. He said as a sign of how serious Parliament is about the certificates audit, it should start with all MPs then the administrative staff and down to MDA officials.

In his submission, former APC MP, Hon Amadu Alpha Bah representing Constituency 115 buttressed that the certificates audit should not only be limited to MDA officials but should also include MPs for moral and integrity’s sake.  He stressed that the influx of doctorates and degree holders in MDAS is alarming; adding that government through Parliament should use the current saga to audit the academic qualifications or documents of all government officials, citing the ‘Dominion Christian University degree holders which he said are too many in the country.

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Solomon Segepoh Thomas welcomed the idea to do certificates audit, however discouraged that the Parliament be excluded, stating that MPs are not elected to the House because of their certificates.

Notwithstanding, Dr Yumkella was selected as the Chairman of the Fake Degree Audit Committee in Parliament, after which many structures were placed to start the Auditing process.