The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has submitted documentary evidence to the Abuja court in response to the lawsuit brought against it by the newly sworn-in Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, regarding his controversial NYSC discharge certificate. The documents presented by the NYSC suggest a possible case of forgery against Governor Mbah.
According to a deposition from Mrs. Rhoda Dawa, the Assistant Director in the Corps Certification Department, the discharge certificate claimed by Governor Mbah was not issued by the NYSC. The NYSC provided various documents to support their claim, including the alleged forged certificate submitted by Mbah to the Independent National Electoral Commission, a photocopy of the original certificate intended for Mbah, date sheets showing signatures of discharged corps members, a data sheet with unclaimed certificates, official circulars authorizing the destruction of unclaimed certificates, photographs of the incineration of unclaimed discharge certificates, samples of NYSC discharge certificates from the period when the governor was supposed to have served, and letters of investigation from the Police and Department of State Services.
Governor Mbah had filed a lawsuit against the NYSC, seeking N20 billion in damages for what he described as conspiracy, deceit, and misrepresentation of facts. He claimed to have completed his national youth service and was issued a certificate of discharge.
However, the NYSC, in its deposition, maintained that Governor Mbah did not complete his service year and that the certificate he possesses was not issued by the organization. The NYSC presented evidence, including a data sheet, to show that the serial number on Mbah’s certificate differs from the one prepared for him but not collected. They also noted discrepancies in the calligraphic writing on Mbah’s certificate compared to other certificates issued during his batch.
The NYSC further stated that Mbah’s probable date of discharge, based on his completion of the Nigerian Law School, was September 15, 2003, contradicting his claim of September 15, 2002. They asserted that he was not issued a discharge certificate because he did not complete his service year, despite being mobilized for it. The NYSC confirmed that the unclaimed certificates, including the one prepared for Mbah, were returned to their headquarters and subsequently destroyed through incineration.
The case is ongoing, and the court will consider the presented evidence in its proceedings.