During di launch of di renewed hope mechanisation programme for Abuja on Monday, President Bola Tinubu tok sey Alexander Zingman, one Belarusian businessman, na im schoolmate for Chicago State University (CSU).
As Zingman attend di event, Tinubu describe am as im “very good friend” and “neighbour” during im time for CSU.
“To all of una, Alex na my very good neighbour and im bin go di same school wit me for Chicago,” na so Tinubu tok.
“I believe sey our university go dey very proud sey we dey do dis tin here today”.
Wetin di president tok raise questions about di controversy wey dey surround im academic records and di kain business wey Zingman dey do, especially for Africa.
Most of di controversy bin dey ontop Tinubu academic records.
WETIN WE SABI ABOUR ZINGMAN?
Zingman na businessman from Belarus. In January 2019, dem appoint am as honorary consul of Zimbabwe to di Republic of Belarus. Di Belarusian businessman do different business for Africa, especially for Zimbabwe and Congo.
Dem dey often join am wit business interests for AFTRADE DMCC, one Dubai-based company wey dey specialise for agricultural and mining equipment. Reports bin comot sey im be one of di kompani major shareholders.
On Tuesday, one X account wey get di kompani name post pictures wey dem bin take for di launch of di renewed hope mechanisation programme for Abuja.
Na so di caption read: “Proud milestone for AFTRADE DMCC! Yesterday dem launch di Renewed Hope Mechanization Programme of Nigeria. Dis na significant step to agricultural transformation of di country and we dey honored to contribute to di innovation and mechanization of Nigeria!”
In March 2021, dem bin arrest am for di Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) sake of alleged arms dealing. Dem later release am afta 12 days without charges. Im deny di allegations.
Di confam online sources about Zingman biography no plenti. Howeva, one archived interview post from Day Night TV, one Ukrainian publication, provide details into di Belarusian businessman early life. Di original version of di interview no dey internet again. CableCheck bin get di archived link from Zingman Wikipedia page.
As im folo Day Night TV yarn, Zingman reportedly tok sey dem born am on November 26, 1966, for Minsk, di capital of Belarus. Dis mean sey im go be 59 years old by November 2025.
For di interview, according to im quotes, im get bachelor’s degree from di “Belarusian National Polytechnic University”, where im study for di Faculty of Robots and Robotic Systems between 1985 and 1989.
Im add sey im study business marketing for di University of Illinois, Chicago, United States, from 1991 to 1995. Im folo do master’s degree from di university.
Im tok sey im once serve for di Soviet Army from 1983 to 1985.
HOW WE COMPARE DI ACADEMIC RECORD OF ZINGMAN, TINUBU
Tinubu academic records show sey im graduate from Chicago State University (CSU) in 1979 with bachelor’s degree for business administration, accounting, and management. Howeva, some tins no add up for di president’s academic records.
No evidence dey to support di claim wey Tinubu make sey im and Zingman attend di same school – CSU. Di Belarusian businessman tok sey im go di University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC).
CSU and UIC na two schools wey dey Chicago area of Illinois, but dem no be di same school.
Although Tinubu no tok sey im and Zingman attend university di same time, di businessman for dey around 11 years old wen Tinubu collect admission enta university for 1977 and 13 years old wen di president graduate.
By di informate wey im bin give, Zingman bin neva enta US di time wey Tinubu dey CSU. However, evidence no dey to confam di exact time wey Zingman move go di US.
Tinubu records show sey im join Mobil Oil Nigeria PLC as auditor in late 1983.
Di time wey Zingman enta im second year for UIC, Tinubu na senator representing Lagos west for Nigeria.
CableCheck send email give UIC to confam if Zingman attend di university, but as of di time of dis tori dem neva reply di email.
