The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) and the Patriotic Defenders of National Institutions have called for a nationwide investigation into the authenticity of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates issued to individuals holding public offices.
They said that the credibility of these certificates must be verified to maintain public trust and uphold certification integrity.
The groups said that the call became necessary in light of the controversy surrounding the NYSC certificate of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, and the outcome of the state governorship election petition tribunal on the matter.
National Coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko in a statement on behalf of the groups insists on a thorough and impartial review of the Enugu State Governorship Petition Tribunal’s judgment to “ensure that justice was served” as “the evidence presented by the NYSC and the allegations of certificate forgery warrant a comprehensive reexamination of the case.”
They said that the revelation from the NYSC allegedly casts serious doubt on the authenticity of the service’s discharge certificate presented by the Governor, thereby raising “significant questions” about his eligibility for the poll.
The statement equally asked that the rule of law must be upheld without exception, as it maintained that the tribunal’s decision should align with established legal principles, and justice should be administered impartially.
While noting that the judiciary must remain independent and free from bias on the matters before it, especially as it regards the governorship poll in the state, the statement pointed out that “HURIWA and Patriotic Defenders of National Institutions emphasize the need for a thorough investigation into the allegations of over-voting and BVAS bypass during the election. Electoral integrity is paramount for democracy.”
This is even as it expressed to closely monitor developments in the case while continuing to “advocate for transparency, accountability, and justice in our democracy.”
The statement lamented that both bodies were concerned about the position of the Tribunal, as “the Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal’s decision has raised serious questions about the conduct of the tribunal, the credibility of our institutions, including the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the Department of State Security (DSS), the Judiciary and the broader implications for the certification process in Nigeria”.
Continuing, the non-profit organisations queried the appearance of the Department of State Service (DSS) at the Enugu State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, as it wondered why did the DSS was at the tribunal when it is not the issuing authority for NYSC certificates, neither is it “ typically involved in NYSC matters. Their unexpected presence at the tribunal has raised concerns and cast doubt on their role because it falls outside their usual mandate.”
Furthermore, the statement regretted that the tribunal’s judgment undermines the integrity of the country’s certification process, “not only for the NYSC but also for other certifying bodies.”
“The tribunal’s decision, seemingly disregarding critical evidence presented by the NYSC, raises serious concerns about the credibility of our institutions and the rule of law,” it emphasized.
“The DSS does not have a mandate to appear before election petition tribunals in political cases and provide testimonies in favor of one candidate over another, especially when it involves a government institution like the NYSC. So, the critical question is, who authorized or procured their appearance at the tribunal?
“Furthermore, there is a troubling conspiracy theory yet to be verified unless thoroughly investigated by an independent body of experts to ascertain if there a connection between the DSS hierarchy, as it were, and Peter Mbah, the individual involved in the dispute with the Labour Party. Peter Mbah, the owner of Pinnacle Oil, had his certificate issue, and the DSS even testified that it was valid.
“Notably, there is the urgent need to further investigate why the DSS featured in that tribunal matter which is unprecedented.
“Moreover, the individual, Isa Yahaya Mohammed, who represented the DSS at the tribunal has been alleged as someone who is no longer associated with the DSS. Mohammed had at the tribunal, while giving testimony reportedly claimed that he was a serving deputy director in charge of operations at the DSS and later contradicted himself in his written deposition where he wrote that he was Deputy Director (Strategy).
However, it’s essential to note that he appeared to have the blessing of the DSS, as they did not arrest him for falsely claiming to represent their organization. In typical situations, the DSS would swiftly apprehend someone falsely claiming to represent their agency. This has resulted in a situation where the DSS appears to have undermined their own institution’s credibility and also cast doubt on the NYSC’s integrity,” the two CSOs stated.
