Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday dismissed the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate forgery allegations preferred against the Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah.
The NYSC had, in a letter dated February 1 and signed by its director, Corps Certification Ibrahim Muhammed, claimed that it did not issue the NYSC certificate in Mbah’s possession.
Mbah had in turn dragged the NYSC and Muhammad to court for publishing a disclaimer denying issuing him a discharge certificate.
However, at yesterday’s sitting, the court issued a restraining order on NYSC ordering them to desist from further denying issuing the NYSC certificate in the possession of Mbah.
The court held that the NYSC certificate being paraded and submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by Mbah was validly issued and authentic.
Delivering judgment in the suit, Justice Ekwo held that evidence before the court showed that Mbah properly participated in the NYSC programme and was issued a certificate of completion by the NYSC.
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The court held that from the record before it, Mbah was mobilised for service in 2001, but midway into his service, he sought and obtained permission from NYSC to attend the Nigeria Law School. Justice Ekwo added that in 2003, evidence showed that Mbah returned and was reinstated into NYSC in 2003, which was the same year he completed his service.
The court held that NYSC misrepresented facts in its claim that it did not issue the certificate submitted to INEC before the last governorship election. The judge faulted the NYSC for not submitting to the court two files containing information about Mbah’s participation in the programme.
The court noted that the NYSC handled the case with levity and awarded the sum of N5 million in damages against the NYSC in favour of Mbah.
