The National Examinations Council has dismissed 19 workers from service over certificate forgery after the workers confessed to the crime.

According to the council on Tuesday, the NECO Governing Board approved the dismissal of the workers, going by the recommendations of a Staff Certificate Verification Committee which was constituted by the management.

The committee was mandated to carry out a screening by inviting some workers “with questionable credentials to appear before it, during which the affected staff attested that their certificates were forged.”

The dismissal of the 19 workers makes a total of 89 workers disengaged from NECO within three months, as the council earlier dismissed 70 workers over certificate forgery in November 2019.

The NECO Head of Information and Public Relations Division, Mr Azeez Sani, said in a release on Tuesday that the dismissal was approved at the 52nd Regular meeting of the council.

He said, “The Governing Board of the National Examinations Council has approved the dismissal of 19 staff from her service for certificate forgery. A Staff Certificate Verification Committee constituted by the Management carried out its assignment diligently by inviting some staff with questionable credentials to appear before it, during which the affected staff attested that their certificates were forged.

“The committee also contacted the schools and institutions which the affected staff claimed to have attended and the Schools and Institutions denied having certificated them.

“At its 52nd Regular meeting, the Governing Board of the Council vetted the report of the Certificate Verification Committee and approved the dismissal of the affected staff.

“The Governing Board had at its 17th Extra-Ordinary meeting in November, 2019, also approved the dismissal of 70 staff for certificate forgery. The certificate verification exercise, which is ongoing, is aimed at sanitising the system.”