Anthony, if the newspaper’s findings are inaccurate, you owe the public verifiable evidence that directly addresses the allegations
By Babafemi Ojudu
The latest investigation by *Premium Times* into Anthony Kila’s academic credentials has left me deeply troubled. Following an earlier report questioning his professorial title, the newspaper has now alleged that the academic qualifications he claimed to possess, from his bachelor’s degree to his doctorate, as well as other credentials, could not be substantiated. The report cites responses from universities and discrepancies in the programmes and dates Kila reportedly supplied. In his response, Kila told the newspaper that he was gathering his academic and professional documents.
These are serious allegations that demand clear, credible and documented answers.
I know Anthony quite well. We have belonged to the same Yoruba association, where I found his contributions insightful and his conduct dignified. He is articulate, intellectually gifted and capable of offering compelling analyses of public affairs. That is precisely why these allegations are so difficult to comprehend. With such evident intellectual ability, why would anyone feel the need to invent academic credentials?
What happened to him? How did he acquire such knowledge while apparently lacking the qualifications he claimed? If he is largely self-taught, that would itself be a remarkable achievement. But if the allegations are established, the apparent ingenuity involved in sustaining such an elaborate identity would raise troubling questions about motive, deception and the price of maintaining a false public image. The story brings to mind the impostor portrayed in *Catch Me If You Can*. How did this happen, and why? These questions deserve answers.
There is no shame in being self-taught. A person can be widely read, knowledgeable and valuable to society without possessing a university degree. Academic qualifications are not the sole measure of intelligence, wisdom or competence. But claiming degrees one has not earned, if that is what occurred, is a serious breach of trust. Intelligence cannot excuse dishonesty, and eloquence cannot confer a degree.
Anthony, if the newspaper’s findings are inaccurate, you owe the public verifiable evidence that directly addresses the allegations. Produce the relevant certificates, transcripts and other authentic records, and allow them to be independently verified.
If, however, the allegations are substantially true, I urge you to come clean, fully and without further evasion.
Coming clean requires more than expressing regret over the controversy or lamenting the damage to one’s reputation. It requires an unequivocal account of which claims were false, their public withdrawal and a truthful explanation of your educational and professional history. It also means asking institutions, broadcasters and publishers to correct biographies and profiles that contain inaccurate claims, and ceasing to use any title or qualification that cannot be substantiated.
If a fabricated academic identity was presented to the public, it must be explicitly disavowed. Merely distancing yourself from the embarrassment of its exposure will not suffice. A meaningful apology must acknowledge the deception, if established, and recognise the people and institutions whose trust may have been abused. It must accept responsibility without blaming those who believed the claims or those who investigated them.
Accountability must also extend to restitution where necessary. If unsubstantiated credentials secured appointments, payments or other benefits, those matters should be disclosed and addressed through the appropriate processes. Legitimate investigations should be met with cooperation, and any demonstrable harm should be addressed. The consequences of wrongdoing, where established, must be accepted.
Forgiveness cannot be demanded, and public trust cannot be restored through another persuasive speech. It must be earned through sustained honesty, transparency and responsible conduct.
Yet accountability must leave room for humanity.
I make a heartfelt appeal to Anthony’s family and close friends: please remain close to him through this difficult period. I have no information that he intends to harm himself, but I am concerned about his welfare. Check on him, listen without judgment and remind him that he is not alone. If he expresses thoughts of suicide or shows signs of immediate danger, take them seriously, stay with him if it is safe to do so, and seek urgent professional help.
We can demand the truth without turning public scrutiny into cruelty. Accountability is necessary, but humiliation for its own sake serves no useful purpose. No one should be made to feel that death is the only escape from disgrace. Whatever the outcome of these allegations, Anthony’s life remains worth protecting, even as serious questions about his conduct demand answers.
Anthony, there is a way forward. It may be painful, and it will require humility, honesty, restitution where warranted and considerable patience. You may lose titles, positions and the confidence of people who once admired you. You may also have to confront the consequences of choices that cannot simply be explained away. But you still have the opportunity to build an honest life and put whatever knowledge and abilities you possess to legitimate use.
You can pursue formal education, earn qualifications through the proper channels and contribute to society under your own name, supported by achievements that can withstand scrutiny. There is dignity in learning at any stage of life, just as there is dignity in acknowledging the truth, however uncomfortable it may be.
You cannot undo the past, but you can stop perpetuating any falsehood and begin the difficult work of repairing the harm it may have caused.
This is not a call to escape accountability. It is a call to embrace it as the first step towards genuine rehabilitation. The public deserves the truth, those who may have been misled deserve an honest reckoning, and Anthony himself deserves the opportunity to choose a different path.
Tell the truth. Make amends. Accept accountability. Give yourself the chance to begin again.
**The first step towards that future is an honest account of the past.**
Temper the suicide-related passageReduce repetition around accountability