A rights group, Save Nigeria Movement (SNM) has raised an alarm over alleged plans by the Enugu State Governor-Elect, Mr Peter Mbah, to sponsor protests against the management of the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC) for failure to validate the NYSC certificate he presented.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Monday, convener of the group, Solomon Semaka, maintained that it was unacceptable for any individual no matter how highly placed to attempt to bully the scheme for being courageous in defence of truth.
Recall that Mr Mbah had sued the NYSC and its Director, Corps Certification, Mr Ibrahim Muhammad, for publishing a disclaimer on the issuance of a discharge certificate issued to him on January 6, 2003.
However, the CSO argued that the NYSC has over the years proven to be one of the agencies that has demonstrated integrity in the discharge of its responsibilities over the years and urged Mbah to come clean of the source of his certificate.
He said: “Our aim here today is simply to uncover and expose the crude tactics and plans by desperate and unscrupulous politicians to cause distraction and in the process evade shame and perhaps justice by dragging the impeccable reputation and good image of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), its Director General (DG) and other directors in the mud.
“The suit filed by the Governor-elect Mr. Peter Mbah against NYSC is nothing but an abuse of court process lacking in merit and a barefaced attempt to force the scheme into accepting that it issued a fake document that did not originate from it. To the best of our knowledge, the suit is a mere academic exercise and an ego trip that would end in utter disgrace of Mr Peter Mbah and eventually vindicate the NYSC.
“It is true that sometime in 2003, Mr Peter Mbah was actually mobilized to partake in the one year mandatory NYSC national service as required. He indeed participated in the orientation course and was ready and expected to go a full one year on the NYSC mandatory service as everyone else during his batch did. But for whatever reason, Mr Peter Mbah, who studied law at his undergraduate days opted to proceed to law school. He wrote for permission and was granted to leave.
“Mr Peter Mbah left and never returned to complete his one year mandatory service with the NYSC. Because he never came back to complete his service, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) under the current management could not validate the purported certificate and the number in question. So where he got that certificate remain a subject of inquiry for another day.
“This is not only an insult to self but to the people of Anambra where Mr Peter Mbah is elected to serve and to Nigerians. It is for this reason that we are here to defend integrity and encourage transparency in public service as exemplified by the NYSC leadership.
“The NYSC has distinguished itself as one of the most consistent and impactful institutions since its establishment 50 years ago. There has hardly been any scandal associated with the Scheme in regarding the security and authenticity of her certificates.
“The recent outburst of the Governor-elect of Enugu State, Barrister Peter Mbah of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over the Schemes rejection of his Discharge Certificate is absolutely needless and does not hold water in anyway. Many politicians who contested in this year’s federal and state elections had their Discharge Certificates scrutinized by opponents in one way or the other.
“It is curious that the case is not the same with Barr. Peter Mbah who is bent on bullying the scheme for being courageous in defence of truth. Instead of accepting that his certificate was forged, as it clearly was, he has resorted to politicising the situation through frivolous court cases and unnecessary drama aimed at winning public sympathy and presenting the NYSC as a dubious institution.
“Credible intelligence at our disposal has indicated that the Governor-elect and his party, the PDP are plotting together with their cronies to sponsor Civil Society Organizations (CSO) to embark on dastardly smear campaign against the Scheme. We want to state categorically this so-called protest is dead on arrival as we will massively mobilize all Nigerians to resist any such attempt.”
