NYSC storms court with evidence of Mbah’s fake discharge certificate

National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) stormed the Federal High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Abuja, tendering evidence of its earlier claims that the Discharge Certificate obtained by the embattled newly-inaugurated State Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, is fake.

NYSC in response to the suit brought against it by Governor Mbah, over the latter controversial discharge certificate, tendered documentary proofs to affirm its claims of forgery against the Enugu State governor.

Oracle Today recalls that Mbah had dragged he NYSC before the FCT court seeking N20 billion in damages for what the governor called ‘conspiracy, dishonesty, and factual misrepresentation,’ over the latter’s consistent allegation that his discharge certificate is fake.

Mbah claimed in court documents that he successfully completed his NYSC programme and received a Certificate of Discharge, as he also asked for confirmation that he received a Call-Up letter with the numbers FRN/2001/800351 and LA/01/1532, confirming that he participated in the NYSC programme for a full year.

According to Mbah, in the suit, upon finishing his service year in 2003, had to declare that he had been given a certificate of national service with the number A808297.

The controversial issue of NYSC Discharge Certificate is on one the grounds of appeal in the petition filed by the Labour Party (LP) and its candidate, Mr Chijioke Edeoga, challenging the declaration of Mbah as winner of the Enugu State Governorship election of March 11, 2023.

In its response tendered at the court, NYSC claimed that Mbah’s certificate remains fake, forged, as it tendered documented evidence to prove its case.

NYSC said the discharge certificate that Governor Mbah claimed was given to him was not from the NYSC, according to a declaration from Mrs. Rhoda Dawa, Assistant Director in the Corps Certification Department, taken before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

“The alleged forged discharge certificate Mbah allegedly submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a photocopy of the original copy of the certificate that was to be issued to Mbah, a date sheet indicating where discharged corps members signed for their certificates, another data sheet listing the names of unclaimed certificates, official clerical records, and other documents were all submitted to the court by the NYSC to support their claim that the Enugu State governor may have submitted a forged discharge certificate.

“In contrast to these assertions, the NYSC argued that the Enugu State governor did not complete his service year and that the certificate of discharge he paraded was not provided by the organization in its deposition.

“The NYSC submitted the data sheet on which Mbah was supposed to sign and pick up his discharge certificate as proof of its claim, claiming that while the certificate presented by the governor of Enugu has the serial number A808297, the one prepared for him but which he did not pick up has the serial number 673517. The NYSC referred to the calligraphic writing on Mbah’s certificate and claimed that it differed significantly from the writing style on all other certificates provided to discharged corps members during his batch. This appears to be forensic proof.

“The corps directorate argued that Mbah’s certificate could not be any different from those of the other corps members who graduated during the same period because only one person was contracted by the corps directorate to write the calligraphy on all certificates.

“The 1″ Respondent’s (NYSC) National Directorate Headquarters issued the Certificates for the Members of the Service Corps in Lagos State, including the Certificate of the Applicant, using a Certificate Issuance Register. The register indicated the basic data of the Members of the Service Corps, including their State Code, name, Call-Up Number, and Certificate Number in serial form. A copy of the relevant page of the Certificate Issuance Register at the National Directorate Headquarters, showing the Applicant in asterisks with Certificate Number 673517, is attached herewith and marked as Exhibit “NYSC 5”

The NYSC said in its deposition.

“Contrary to Mbah’s assertion that his likely date of discharge was September 15, 2002, the NYSC further claimed that his likely date of discharge after finishing his course of study at the Nigerian Law School was September 15, 2003.

NYSC further claimed that Peter Mbah did not finish his service year despite being mobilized for it, hence, it did not issue him with a release certificate.

“The NYSC further observed that the discharge certificate that was prepared for him was later returned to its headquarters with other unclaimed certificates, where it was then destroyed in front of security personnel along with other unclaimed certificates.

The NYSC further stated in its deposition that all of the outdated, unused, and canceled Certificates of National Service and Certificates of Exemption and Certificates of absconded Members of the Service Corps, including the Applicant’s Certificate Number A673517, which he was unable to collect, had been disposed of by incineration.

“Following the 1″ Respondent’s Top Management’s directive on 18th August 2021, all the outdated, unused, and cancelled Certificates of National Service and Certificates of Exemption, Certificates of absconded Members of the Service Corps, including the Applicant’s Certificate Number A673517 which he was not available to collect, have been disposed of by incineration,” the NYSC further said.

Oracle Today further recalls that, last month, Mbah faced further troubles, when the Director General of the NYSC, Brig Gen Yushau Ahmed, categorically told him that his Discharge Certificate which he has been parading is fake.

NYSC had, in response to an inquiry by a non-governmental organisation, released a letter stating that the Discharge Certificate submitted by Mbah to INEC ahead of the governorship election, was not issued by the Corps.

Speaking while featuring as guest on the Arise Television’s breakfast programme, Friday, May 19, the NYSC boss, Brig Gen Ahmed said described Mbah’s Discharge Certificate as ‘a black market certificate.’

The governor-elect then filed a suit against the NYSC, demanding N20 billion for damages.

“He came to me and I called my director to confirm the certificate and we discovered that the certificate was fake and I told him.

“I wonder how elites who have gone to school will resort to black market certificates.

“Everyone knows how we issue our certificate in NYSC we don’t give it in hotel rooms or houses,” Brig Gen Yushau Ahmed said.

Mbah, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the governorship election in Enugu State had controversially emerged winner defeating the much popular candidate of the Labour Party amid allegations of over-voting and fake Discharge Certificate leveled against him by the latter.