Certificate: Enugu Gov-elect slams N20bn suit on NYSC

Governor Peter Mbah

The Enugu State Governor-elect, Peter Mbah, has filed a N20 billion suit against the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged conspiracy, deceit, and misrepresentation of facts.

Justice Inyang Ekwo had, on Monday, May 15, upon a motion ex-parte by Mbah’s counsel, Emeka Ozoani, SAN, sequel to the lawsuit stopped NYSC from disclaiming Mbah’s certificate.

The Director General of the NYSC, Brig.- Gen. YD Ahmed, had said the discharge certificate being paraded by Mbah was not issued by the NYSC.

Ahmed disclosed that he had told Mbah the NYSC certificate he has been parading is fake, saying: “He came to me and I called my director to confirm the certificate and we discovered that the certificate was fake and I told him.”

However, Mbah, in the suit, is seeking a declaration that he participated in the NYSC scheme with a call-up letter number FRN/2001/800351; Lagos code LA/01/1532, and upon completion was issued a certificate of National Service No. A808297.

The Governor-elect of Enugu State also alleged that the corps conspired by fraudulent design, suppressed, and misrepresented facts in the supposition that his certificate of national service with number A808297 was not issued by them.

“This is a fact they know as untrue, incorrect, and which act he said constitutes an act of conspiracy,” he stated.

Mbah also wants a declaration that the defendants were negligent and maliciously misrepresented facts, which facts the defendants know or ought to know as untrue and ought reasonably to have foreseen that damages would flow from such negligent misrepresentation of material facts.

An affidavit in support of the motion on notice deposed by Grace Udeagha stated among others, that Mbah, after graduating in law from the University of East London in 2000 returned to Nigeria.

She also deposed in the affidavit that as a prerequisite to practice as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Mbah applied and was admitted into the Bar Part I programme of the Nigerian Law School.

She further deposed that the plaintiff upon completing the Bar Part I exam had to wait for the Bar Part II programme.

Udeagha noted: “That the plaintiff in view of the above was called up for the NYSC and was deployed to Lagos State, with the following particulars: Mbah Peter Ndubuisi; Call up letter No 01134613; reference No NYSC/FRN/2001/800351.

“That the plaintiff in the course of his NYSC programme aforesaid and after six months of NYSC, the Nigerian law School scheduled the commencement of the Bar Part II programme usually called Bar Finals.

“The plaintiff was offered admission to the Nigerian Law School by a letter dated June 20, 2002, the plaintiff applied to the State Director, NYSC, for deferment of NYSC year 2001/2002.

“Pursuant to paragraph 12 the NYSC directorate headquarters vide Ref: NYSC/DHQ/CM/M/27 approved the plaintiff’s application for deferment of NYSC Ref: LA/01/1532 of August 6, 2002.

“That the plaintiff upon completion of his NYSC service, was issued the NYSC certificate No. A808297 dated January 6, 2003, certifying that he completed the one year of NYSC from January 7, 2002, to January 6.”

No date has however been fixed to hear the motion.

The Star