*Urges Minister to resign with immediate effect
By Daniel Okejeme, Abuja
A Civil Society Organization, Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), has called on Nigerians to fulfill their core patriotic duty by defending public institutions, particularly the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
CLO stated in Abuja that the call was born out of the increasing assault by the ruling political elites in Nigeria to undermine the independence and sanctity of public institutions due to their primitive and unpatriotic desires.
The group through its National Treasurer, Comrade Halima Ibrahim, decried that some public office holders in the country, who occupy offices of public trust are involved in forgery of public documents, including educational results and NYSC discharge certificate.
CLO said it was more worried that some powerful individuals were challenging anyone, including the courts who dare to question their nefarious actions.
Furthermore, Comrade Ibrahim stated that in the last six months, the country has witnessed two festering cases which are yet to be resolved.
According to her, one of the cases involved the current Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Peter Mbah and the other, a serving Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ms. Hannatu Musawa.
She said: “The case of the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Ms. Musawa, is disturbing. She is currently a serving Corp member before her appointment as a Minister by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Her case has instigated unnecessary debate by some lawyers and Nigerians who are now sharply divided.
“Some lawyers who are defending her appointment relied on the provisions of Section 147 of the 1999 constitution, particularly Sub-Section 5, which states that no person shall be appointed as a Minister of the Government of the Federation unless he is qualified for election as a member of the House of Representatives.
“The question is, what are the qualifications for election into the House of Representatives? This we find in Section 106 of the constitution, which states: “You must be a citizen of Nigeria, you must have attained the age of 25 years, and you have been educated up to at least, a school certificate level or its equivalent. You must be a member of a political party and you must be sponsored by that political party.
The National Treasurer noted that the same constitution also makes it mandatory for any University graduate in Nigeria to possess the NYSC discharge certificate.
“For us in the CLO, this presents a moral burden on Ms. Musawa who should reject the appointment and resign her position immediately.
“In the event that she fails to resign her appointment, we request that President Bola Tinubu invoke his powers under the constitution to immediately withdraw her appointment”
“In the Enugu Governor’s case, the NYSC has proven beyond all reasonable doubt that the certificate the Governor parades was not issued by them, yet Nigerians have watched as the Governor keeps launching orchestrated judicial onslaughts and media campaigns of calumny against the NYSC.
“As citizens are treated to this macabre drama orchestrated by Governor Mba against the NYSC, the CLO wishes to draw public attention to a settled case as espoused recently by the Supreme Court in Oyetola Vs Adeleke that it is only the issuing authority of a certificate that has the sole authority to validate or repudiate the certificate issued by that authority.”
Comrade Ibrahim added that if the judiciary on whose doorsteps the matter lies fails to deliver substantial justice in the case and allows Mbah to walk away a free man without convincing proof of how he obtained his NYSC certificate, it will signpost the death of NYSC scheme.
Speaking earlier, the CLO National President, Comrades Igho Akeregha, stated that the media has a critical role to play in stopping the issue of certificate forgery by politicians. He reiterated the need to nip the problem in the bud before it becomes a normal occurrence.
Akeregha added that certificate forgery is perpetrated by politicians at all levels of government, as he urged Nigerians to ensure that every citizen is subject to the law of the country irrespective of class or status.
The CLO President informed that since the past 50 years of its existence, NYSC has sustained its integrity and remained consistent with its records of achievements and service to the nation.
“Over the years, NYSC has demonstrated exemplary courage and fairness in the discharge of its duties and responsibilities, and has in all cases, refused to be cowed by the barbaric intimidations of politicians”, he said.
