Stern measures needed to curb forgeries
Aug 04, 2010
EDITOR—I was shocked to watch news on July 31 in which Police arrested people at City House alleged to have been found forging academic documents of Makerere University and Uganda Management Institute.
EDITOR—I was shocked to watch news on July 31 in which Police arrested people at City House alleged to have been found forging academic documents of Makerere University and Uganda Management Institute.
The Police officer said that it was difficult to differentiate between the genuine and forged academic transcripts. The suspects were found with stamps some of which can be used to certify these documents!
This implies that some employers could be losing billions of shillings due to unqualified incompetent and untrainable staff who were hired with forged academic documents. Potential employers risk hiring ‘first class degree’ holders who acquired the qualifications in a couple of hours and cannot perform!
The following measures can be put in place to ensure that employers do not fall prey of unethical and opportunist jobseekers of this kind. First, employers and not job seekers, should be the ones to take the academic documents of applicants to universities for verification and certification.
Secondly, employers should ask job seekers to prove that they studied and qualified for that academic award. Three, employers should request for the relevant graduation booklets from various universities where applicants studied from.
This should start with the current employees since some of them could be having forged academic documents.
Ugandan universities should publish names of all alumni on their websites.
Finally, Parliament should enact strict laws to counter check forgery of academic and other documents.
Everest Turyahikayo
Kampala
The Police officer said that it was difficult to differentiate between the genuine and forged academic transcripts. The suspects were found with stamps some of which can be used to certify these documents!
This implies that some employers could be losing billions of shillings due to unqualified incompetent and untrainable staff who were hired with forged academic documents. Potential employers risk hiring ‘first class degree’ holders who acquired the qualifications in a couple of hours and cannot perform!
The following measures can be put in place to ensure that employers do not fall prey of unethical and opportunist jobseekers of this kind. First, employers and not job seekers, should be the ones to take the academic documents of applicants to universities for verification and certification.
Secondly, employers should ask job seekers to prove that they studied and qualified for that academic award. Three, employers should request for the relevant graduation booklets from various universities where applicants studied from.
This should start with the current employees since some of them could be having forged academic documents.
Ugandan universities should publish names of all alumni on their websites.
Finally, Parliament should enact strict laws to counter check forgery of academic and other documents.
Everest Turyahikayo
Kampala