We don’t have Buhari’s certificate – Army

The Nigerian Army yesterday responded to the controversy
surrounding the educational certificate of the presidential
candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari.
The Director of Army Public Relations, Brig. General Olajide
Olaleye, at a press conference in Abuja, said neither the
original copy, Certified True Copy (CTC) nor a statement of
result of Buhari’s West African School Certificate (WASC)
results is in his personal file.
Gen. Olaleye, however, said Buhari’s application was duly
endorsed by the Principal of Provincial Secondary School,
Katsina, who also wrote a report and recommended him as
suitable for military commission. Full text of Olaleye’s
statement on the issue reads: “I will begin with the Major-
General Muhammadu Buhari certificate controversy.
Gentlemen, let me state clearly that the Nigerian Army holds
the retired senior officer in very high esteem and respect and
would not be a party to any controversy surrounding his
eligibility for any political office. Suffice to state that Major-
General Buhari rose steadily to the enviable rank of Major-
General before becoming the Head of State of our dear country
in December 1983.
“The media hype on retired Major General Muhammadu
Buhari’s credentials as well as the numerous requests made
by individuals and corporate bodies to the Nigerian Army on
this issue have necessitated that we provide the facts as
contained in the retired senior officer’s service record. Records
available indicate that Major-General M. Buhari applied to join
the military as a Form Six student of the Procincial Secondary
School, Katsina on October 18, 1961.
“His application was duly endorsed by the Principal of the
school, who also wrote a report on him and recommended
him to be suitable for military commission. It is a practice in
the Nigerian Army (NA) that before candidates are shortlisted
for commissioning into the officer’s cadre of the service, the
Selection Board verifies the original copies of credentials that
are presented. However, there is no available record to show
that this process was followed in the 1960s.
“Nevertheless, the entry on the NA from 199 at the point of
documentation after commission as an officer indicated that
the former Head of State obtained the West African School
Certificate (WASC) in 1961 with credits in relevant subjects:
English Language, Geography, History, Health Science, Hausa
and a pass in English Literature. However, neither the original
copy, Certified True Copy (CTC) nor statement of result of
Major-General Muhammadu Buhari’s WASC result is in his
personal file.
“I hope this explanation will put to rest the raging controversy
surrounding the secondary school credentials of Major-General
Muhammadu Buhari as it affects the Nigerian Army,” Gen
Olaleye said.
Meanwhile, Buhari will today address a press conference on
the certificate saga. A statement by Garba Shehu of the
Directorate of Media and Publicity, APC Presidential Campaign
Organisation last night said the event will hold in Kano at
9am.