Enugu State Governor-elect, Peter Mbah, has denied allegations of forgery of his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate. He stated that he served out his one-year mandatory service and was duly discharged, challenging the NYSC to subject the Certificate to forensic examination. Mbah, who was accused of presenting a forged NYSC certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the build-up to the March 18, 2023 governorship election, has been labouring to explain himself.
SaharaReporters had reported that the management of the NYSC denied issuing a Certificate of National Service to the Enugu State governor-elect. The NYSC, in a letter dated February 1, 2023, had stated that Mbah’s certificate with Certificate Number: A808297 was not issued by the Scheme.
However, Mbah challenged this claim, stating that the NYSC certificate is printed serially and that there is only one 808297 issued to one Peter Ndubuisi Mba by NYSC. He further explained that NYSC is a process that lasts for 12 months, and it is either you have done it or you didn’t do it. He added that he was honourably discharged, and there are people he did his service with who can attest to his participation.
Mbah will be sworn in as the next governor of Enugu State on May 29, 2023. He believes that ultimately, the truth will prevail and that the allegations against him will be cleared.
The allegation of forgery of an NYSC certificate is not new in Nigeria. In recent years, several high-profile politicians have been embroiled in similar scandals. In some cases, the allegations have led to their disqualification from contesting elections, while in others, they have been forced to resign from office.
The NYSC was established in 1973 as a way of fostering national unity and integration in Nigeria. It is mandatory for all Nigerian graduates under the age of 30 to participate in the scheme for one year. Failure to serve can result in a penalty, including the denial of certain job opportunities.
The NYSC has been dogged by several challenges over the years, including poor funding, inadequate infrastructure, and security concerns. There have been several cases of attacks on corps members by militants and other criminal elements.
In recent years, there have been calls for the scrapping of the NYSC scheme, with some arguing that it has outlived its usefulness. Others have called for the restructuring of the scheme to make it more relevant to the needs of contemporary Nigeria.
As Mbah prepares to assume office as the governor of Enugu State, the allegations against him are likely to continue to generate interest and controversy. However, he remains resolute in his belief that he did not forge his NYSC certificate and that the truth will ultimately prevail.