Deputy Speaker Kalu Gets 72Hrs To Step Down Over Suspected Certificate Fraud

A coalition of civil society organisations, led by the Civil Society Groups of Good Governance (CSGGG), has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, to step aside pending investigations into alleged perjury, false representation, and contradiction between his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and Nigerian Bar certificates.

The coalition held a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, where it raised questions about the constitutional and legal propriety of Mr. Kalu continuing to occupy the second-highest office in the lower chamber of the National Assembly.

The groups warned that if the relevant authorities, including the NYSC, the Nigerian Law School, the Council of Legal Education, and the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), fail to act within 72 hours, they would be left with no option but to occupy the National Assembly.

Addressing journalists, Chief Dominic Ogakwu, President of the CSGGG and spokesperson of the coalition, outlined the constitutional basis for their agitation.

“The 1999 Constitution as Amended says in Chapter 1. (1): ‘This Constitution is supreme and its provisions shall have binding force on the authorities and persons throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria,'” Ogakwu declared.

He said the coalition seeks to “test the constitutional provision that all authorities and persons in our country are indeed held to the same scrutiny and accountability.”

Quoting him, “ Let me make it clear that we are non-aligned, partisan or otherwise, and our interest in this matter which has been raging for a while without due attention by the relevant authorities; the Nigerian Law School, the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, and the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, LPDC, as well as the principal actor in the debacle, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, should be a source of great worry to all patriotic Nigerians.

“We do not impute any crime, yet, rather we demand clarity as to the possibility of Rt. Hon. Kalu, after swearing two oaths, one with the NYSC and the other with the Nigerian Law School that he will abide faithfully and wholly with the demands of the Service Year and the rigours of the Law School still carry out two functions which are mutually exclusive and not be held for perjury and for violating the rules and regulations of NYSC and the Nigerian Law School.”NSO

The CSO noted that Kalu had sworn on oath as required by Section 2(3) of the NYSC Act that he would “engage in a continuous one-year national service,” and questioned how he simultaneously engaged in “any lawful endeavour such as the Law School and partake in full-time academic training at the same time.”

The coalition further noted that the Nigerian Law School maintains a strict policy prohibiting students from serving as corps members during their period of study.

According to the group, Kalu, who was admitted to the Nigerian Law School under the name Benjamin Okezie Osisiogu before a series of name changes, declared on April 23, 2010, that he was not and would not engage in employment or participate in the NYSC during his course of study.

The coalition demanded an explanation as to how Kalu was able to earn his NYSC discharge certificate marked A001773067 and dated March 8, 2011 when he was supposedly at the Law School during the same period.

The group said it is “either he (Kalu) did not participate fully in the NYSC Service Year, or he never attended the Nigerian Law School to qualify him to be enrolled into the Bar.”

On this basis, the coalition demanded “clarity and accountability from Kalu himself, the NYSC and the Nigerian Law School and Council of Legal Education.”

The CSGGG demanded Kalu to first step aside pending the determination of the allegations as he “occupies too grave an office for any taint to be associated with the occupant.”

It noted, “Nigeria is an important country not just on the continent but across the world and should not have individuals with any semblance of questionable characters occupying such an office.”

The coalition also urged the NYSC to come clean on Kalu’s service year record.

Ogakwu added, “Did he actually participate in the compulsory national service? If yes, how? If not, how did he come about the discharge certificate he possesses?

“The Nigerian Law School and Council of Legal Education should avail the public of their records showing the full participation of Mr. Kalu in over 70% of activities as required by its rules. And if in breach of the oath, his Call to Bar Certificate should be withdrawn forthwith as it falls short of the high demands of probity, truthfulness and fidelity to the law as expected of law practitioners. At present, a senior lawyer of the Tali Shani fame is facing his day in court as it ought, so, this is no exception.

“Mr. Kalu himself should demonstrate the moral high ground by showing proof that he actually didn’t combine both programs simultaneously. And if he didn’t should explain the certificates he possesses.”