Concern Over Enugu Governor-Elect’s Alleged NYSC Certificate Forgery Rages

Some residents of Enugu metropolis, Wednesday, demanded the National Youth Service Corps to address the NYSC certificate forgery saga against the state governor-elect, Mr Peter Mbah.

THE WHISTLER reports that Mbah’s NYSC certificate saga had raged in the state following an alleged NYSC’s reply to a clarification sought by one Mary Nneoma Elijah of Omas and Partners, Abuja.

NYSC, in the reply dated February 1, 2023, seen by our correspondent, said that Mbah’s certificate with Certificate Number: A808297 was not issued by it.

Its director of Corps Certification, Ibrahim A. Muhammad, on behalf of the scheme, had written that, “I am directed to refer to your letter dated 23 November, 2022 on the above subject and to convey Management’s delight for compliance with the provision of NYSC Act regarding presentation of the Certificate of National Service or Exemption Certificate by employees/prospective employees holding Degree and HND Certificates.

“We are pleased to inform you that the Certificate of National Service belonging to Mbah Peter Ndubuisi with Certificate Number: A808297 forwarded for verification was not issued by the NYSC.

“As we look forward to close working ties with your organisation, please accept the assurances of the Director-General’s warmest regard.”

Mbah also defended that, “I did my NYSC. I served and was honourably discharged. I have my discharge certificate. My place of primary assignment was Udeh and Co.

“I think the confusion was because I had a break. As an overseas graduate, when we were done with our Bar Part I, the next thing was for us to do Bar Part II, but we were just completing Bar Part 1 when the Bar Final students started. So, we were encouraged by the then deputy director general (DDG) of Nigerian Law School, Kole Abayomi, who was the DDG of Lagos campus where I did my Bar Part I, to go and do our youth service. So, we went to start our youth service.

“Eight months into the youth service, we were told to come back to do our Bar Final. We started the Bar Final and the honourable thing for me to do was to basically write to the NYSC to say, ‘Please, I am going to do my Bar Final and I want to break my service year’. The letter is still documented. I went and completed my Bar Final and went back and completed the remaining months of my service. I still have the letter of NYSC remobilising me to go and finish from where I stopped.

“So, when eventually I completed, the certificate I was given has the same date as my original set. Therefore, if you don’t have this background, you will be wondering, ‘You should be in Law School this period, why should you have an NYSC certificate?’ But just as I said, the documents are all there and can speak for themselves. So, I did my youth service.”

Reacting, a commentator on national issues, Kingsley Ogbeh, said, “The anxiety is the failure of Mbah to address the issue the right way. Even if he is sure he submitted a genuine certificate, what stops him from organising a press conference with NYSC authorities in attendance to clarify this matter.

“Presently, the celebration in the camp of Enugu PDP has been subdued over this NYSC matter.”

Levi Ozoene, a politician, said, “When we need a candid clarification on this matter, Mbah’s camp is churning out articles that NYSC is not a prerequisite for governorship. They fail to realise that the offence is on tendering a fake certificate to INEC.”

Anselm Eze, a business man, told our correspondent that, “I expected Mbah to sue the firm that indicted him if it is not true. His silence tells me that he might be relying on technicalities to win at the tribunal. It will be a tall order.”

However, Ifeanyi Okpe, PDP stalwart, said Mbah duly did his NYSC programme. He said, “Mbah didn’t want to be distracted by such allegations. A situation can occur where the wise will allow enemies to dissipate their energy in vain. Mbah is coming.”

However, Chief Donatus Okpala, a member of the Labour Party in Aninri LGA, said, “Peter Mbah will be the first ex-governor-elect in Nigeria. LP has big facts against him. He who will become our governor should come with equity.”

It was gathered that Labour Party’s guber candidate in the state, Hon Chijioke Edeoga, had file a suit at the state guber tribunal seeking the disqualification of Mbah on the bases of NYSC certificate forgery, voter suppression, over-voting, electoral thuggery and criminality.

Mbah is of the PDP.