A Federal High Court in Abuja has imposed a hefty penalty of N5 million on the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) over a baseless claim that Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, held a counterfeit discharged certificate. Justice Inyang Ekwo, the presiding judge, declared that the NYSC and its Director General were at fault for distorting critical facts and found Governor Mbah’s certificate to be authentic and valid.
The court’s ruling reaffirmed the legitimacy of the certificate presented by Governor Mbah to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during his election. Justice Ekwo clarified that the evidence before the court clearly demonstrated that though Governor Mbah was mobilized for service in 2001, he completed his National Youth Service in 2003.
The judge further elucidated that during his service, Governor Mbah sought and received permission from the NYSC to attend the Nigeria Law School. Subsequently, he was reinstated into the NYSC in 2003, following the completion of his legal studies.
Importantly, Justice Ekwo observed that the NYSC did not contest the evidence of Governor Mbah’s service at Udeh’s law firm. He criticized the NYSC for failing to pursue forgery charges against the governor if they genuinely believed the NYSC certificate was not issued to him.
Recall that Governor Peter Mbah had initiated legal action against the NYSC and its Director, Corps Certification, Mr. Ibrahim Muhammad, in response to their disclaimer, which denied the issuance of a discharge certificate dated January 6, 2003, to him.
Back in May, Justice Ekwo had issued an order prohibiting the NYSC, Mr. Muhammad, and their agents from making any further publications related to the matter while the substantive case was pending. This order resulted from an ex parte motion filed by Governor Mbah’s counsel, Mr. Emeka Ozoani, SAN.
However, on May 19, the NYSC countered with a preliminary objection and later sought an order to dismiss or strike out the case, arguing that it lacked jurisdiction and competence. The NYSC contended that compliance with the provisions of Section 20 of the National Youth Service Corps Act, which required an appeal to the president, was a prerequisite for instituting legal action against the NYSC in Nigeria.
The NYSC had previously sent a letter, dated February 1, signed by Mr. Ibrahim Muhammad, stating that Governor Mbah’s NYSC certificate was not issued by the corps.
It is noteworthy that Governor Mbah, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was declared the winner of the Enugu state governorship election held on March 18 by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
