“The governor-elect is a lawyer. I am not a lawyer, but I know as the DG of NYSC, I’m fully aware of this case. He came to me, I was frank with him, and I told him this certificate was not from us, However, he chose to go to court and sue. But as far as I’m concerned NYSC has not been sued. I’m just hearing about it. I have not seen a court order.”
These were the words of Yisha’u Ahmed, Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), with which he clarified the issues surrounding the discharge certificate controversy of Peter Mbah, the Enugu governor-elect, saying it was his place to accept the reality.
The comments by the NYSC, boss, were a further clarification on the letter signed by Ibrahim Muhammad, Director of Certifications, indicating that the certificate belonging to Mbah was not issued by the institution, leading to Mbah, approaching the court to demand for a whopping N20billion as damages.
Accusing the body of conspiracy, deceit, and misrepresentation of facts, Mbah, also sought a declaration that the scheme and its director for corps certification “conspired by fraudulent design, suppressed, and misrepresented facts” in voiding his certificate of national service.
Amplifying the position of the agency, Ahmed, a guest of The Morning Show, a breakfast programme on Arise Television, told his hosts on Friday, that he did not understand the agitation of the governor-elect, after all the matter had been explained to him.
Denying receiving any court papers regarding the issue, outside what he read in the media, he said he did not see the point Mbah was making, saying: “I was frank with him, and I told him this certificate is not from us.
“This case is in court, and I may not want to say much but let me tell you the issue you are talking about. The person came to the NYSC for verification, and he was told the certificate is not issued from us.
“I wonder how the issue of racketeering would come up when you are talking about an elite: somebody who is a graduate and well-enlightened. Where did you obtain your certificate? You do not know how we issue our certificate? You cannot go and collect certificates on the street or in a hotel, you should know better.”
