Again, NYSC disowns Enugu Gov-elect’s Discharge Certificate

 

• Governor-elect slams N20bn lawsuit on NYSC

 

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has disowned the Discharge Certificate in possession of the Enugu State Governor-elect, Peter Mbah.

There have been controversies regarding the authenticity or otherwise of the said NYSC Discharge Certificate, which Mbah presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest the March 18, 2023, Enugu State governorship election.

Speaking on Arise News on Friday, Director-General of the Corps, Brigadier General Yusha’u Dogara Ahmed, said the Discharge Certificate was not issued by NYSC.

“You can’t go and collect certificate on the street, you can’t go and collect certificate from a hotel. The Governor-elect is a lawyer. I am not a lawyer but I know, as the DG of NYSC, I’m fully aware of this case. He came to me, I was frank with him and I told him this Certificate is not from us,” Brig-Gen Ahmed stated.

When told that Mbah had sued the NYSC and its Director of Certification over the matter, the DG queried: “Do you sue somebody on pages of newspaper? As far as I am concerned NYSC has not been sued. I’ve not received any court order or anything. I don’t want to talk much about this.”

Speaking on the clamour for the increment of monthly allowance of Corps members, the NYSC DG advised participants in the Scheme to bury the thought, saying “Instead of thinking of increment, start thinking of what to do in service and outside service, so you can help yourself.”

Meanwhile the Governor-elect has filed a N20 billion suit against the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at the Federal High Court over alleged conspiracy, deceit, and misrepresentation of facts.

Justice Inyang Ekwo had on Monday, upon a motion ex parte by Mr Mbah’s counsel, Emeka Ozoani, sequel to the lawsuit, stopped NYSC from disclaiming Mr Mbah’s certificate.

In the suit, Mr Mbah is equally seeking a declaration that he participated in the NYSC scheme vide a call-up letter number FRN/2001/800351, Lagos code LA/01/1532 and upon completion, was issued a certificate of National Service No. A808297.

The governor-elect also alleged that NYSC conspired by fraudulent design, suppressed and misrepresented facts in the supposition that they did not issue his certificate of national service with number A808297.

According to him, this is a fact they know as untrue, incorrect and which act he said constitutes an act of conspiracy.

He also wants a declaration that the defendants were negligent and maliciously misrepresented facts, which facts the defendants know or ought to know as untrue and ought reasonably to have foreseen that damages would flow from such negligent misrepresentation of material facts.

An affidavit supporting the motion on notice deposed by Grace Udeagha stated, among others, that Mr Mbah, after graduating in law from the University of East London in 2000, returned to Nigeria.

She also deposed in the affidavit that as a prerequisite to practise as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Mr Mbah applied and was admitted into the Bar Part I programme of the Nigerian Law School.

She further deposed that the plaintiff, upon completing the Bar Part I exam, had to wait for the Bar Part II programme.

“That the plaintiff, in view of the above, was called up for the NYSC and was deployed to Lagos state, with the following particulars: Mbah Peter Ndubuisi; Call up letter No 01134613; reference No NYSC/FRN/2001/800351,” she added, “That the plaintiff in the course of his NYSC programme aforesaid and after six months of NYSC, the Nigerian Law School scheduled the commencement of the Bar Part II programme usually called Bar Finals.”

Ms Udeagha said further, “The plaintiff was offered admission to the Nigerian Law School by a letter dated June 20, 2002. The plaintiff applied to the state director, NYSC, for deferment of NYSC year 2001/2002. Pursuant to paragraph 12, the NYSC directorate headquarters vide Ref: NYSC/DHQ/CM/M/27 approved the plaintiff’s application for deferment of NYSC Ref: LA/01/1532 of August 6, 2002.”

The deposition explained that Mr Mbah, “upon completion of his NYSC service, was issued the NYSC certificate No. A808297 dated January 6, 2003, certifying that he completed the one-year of NYSC from January 7, 2002, to January 6.”

A date has yet to be fixed to hear the motion.