The Joint Committee of the House of Representatives scrutinizing the alleged certificate racketeering in higher institutions, has called for tougher punishment for certificate forgery culprits.

Abubakar Fulata, who is the Chairman of the, issued a statement after a tour of some Lagos-based higher institutions , the committee called for equal punishments for accomplices of the crime.

The higher institutions visited include the University of Lagos, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Caleb University, Lagos and Lagos State University.

Fulata recalled that before now, students studied very well and passed the necessary examinations before they were awarded certificates of merits

He noted that it is unfortunate that these days students are not ready to study but are only willing to get certificates through other means which are mostly illegal.

The lawmaker said that the inquest was a continuation to the resolution of the House of Representatives on alleged certificate racketeering as revealed by an investigative journalist.

“Some of us studied very well and passed the required examinations before we were given degree certificates from Nigerian universities.

“We cannot fold our hands and watch lazy and fraudulent people destroy the name of Nigerian tertiary institutions of learning.

“It is unfortunate to see somebody with a degree certificate and having been mobilised for NYSC service but cannot properly write his name, let alone defending what he/she claims to have studied,” he said.

He encouraged the management of institutions of learning to improve security features on the certificates for easy verification.