By IBUKUN EMIOLA

Some graduates of the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) have lamented the prolonged delay in the release of their certificates.

They said the delay had stalled their career progression, retirement processing and job prospects.

The graduates, drawn from NTI study centres in Ibadan, Lagos and Kaduna, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria NAN in Ibadan on Monday.

They expressed frustration over the institute’s slow pace in resolving certificate delays, alleging that many have waited years after completing their studies without receiving their credentials.

Mrs Bamidele Akinde, a graduate from the institute who works with the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, said she completed her programme in 2018 but had yet to receive her certificate, adding that the delay had affected her promotion at work.

Akinde said she and other affected graduates had made several efforts to resolve the matter but were yet to receive satisfactory explanations from the institute.

“Some affected graduates have suffered demotion, retirement-related difficulties and in some cases, death, yet the issue has yet to be resolved.

“Some were selected and given their certificates but we don’t know how the selection was made,” she said.

Similarly, Mr Njoku Sylvester, a graduate of the institute from Kaduna, said the inability to produce his original certificate led to the loss of his job in a private school.

Sylvester said the situation had become a major setback since 2018, particularly for graduates who required the certificates for promotion examinations.

He said some of his colleagues had retired without obtaining the certificates they needed to process their career and retirement benefits.

“Having paid and stressed ourselves to that point and we are still having issues today; repeated approaches to the institute had yielded little relief,” he said.

Another graduate from the Ibadan study centre, Mr Ismaila Oyewole, said the delay had affected his retirement process after he was asked to produce his NTI certificate.

Oyewole, who claimed he completed his programme in 2017, said an accreditation letter issued to him was rejected when he presented it during the retirement process.

He expressed concern that the delay had affected the commencement of his pension payments, saying he had been waiting for the release of his result and certificate because he needed it for the necessary processing.

Mrs Olasumbo Ogundairo, another NTI Ibadan graduate, said affected students had repeatedly been assured that their certificates would soon be released.

Ogundairo said some students spent between three and four years on their programmes and paid more than N300,000, only to remain without certificates after graduation.

“This is a nationwide issue NTI has, and more than 3,000 graduates have been affected so far,” she said.

She also identified errors in matriculation numbers, names and years of course completion on some certificates that were already issued.

She added that affected graduates need their certificates and NYSC exclusion letters to be released and corrected where necessary.

Responding, Dr Anuoluwapo Oyinlola, Oyo State Coordinator of NTI, said the certificate issue was not limited to Oyo State or the southwest.

Oyinlola explained that the institute was categorising the affected programmes and graduates according to their affiliations and institutions responsible for processing the certificates.

She said some certificates were being processed through the University of Maiduguri, while those for earlier programmes were being obtained via the National Open University.

“The affiliation arrangements has contributed to the delay in processing the certificates.

“Efforts are ongoing to clear the backlog, because 608 certificates have already been released,” Oyinlola said.

She expressed optimism that the outstanding certificates would be released by October, saying the authorities were working seriously to resolve the issue.

“We have given notifications of results to those who have graduated and attestation,” the coordinator said.

Oyinlola appealed to affected students to accept attestation letters where necessary while the certificate issue was being resolved.

On allegations that students campaigning for the release of their certificates were being victimised or threatened with carryovers, Oyinlola dismissed the allegation, urging them to remain calm.

She said all errors or outstanding issues would be addressed. (NAN)