Don�t declare Enugu gov-elect certificate fake, court tells NYSC

The Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the National Youth Service Corps and its Director of Corps Certification, Ibrahim Muhammed, from issuing further disclaimers that the NYSC certificate dated January 6, 2003, issued to the governor-elect of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, was forged.

The defendants in the suit are the NYSC and Muhammed, while Mbah is the plaintiff.

Justice Ekwo made the order following an ex parte motion dated May 4, which was moved by Emeka Ozoani (SAN), on behalf of the applicant.

Recall that during the build-up to the March 18, 2023 governorship election, Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party was accused by some opposition political parties of presenting a forged NYSC certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission

The NYSC, in its response letter dated February 1, 2023 and signed by Muhammed, denied issuing the certificate to Mbah.

The plaintiff then approached the court for an order of interim injunction restraining the NYSC and its directors from issuing and publishing disclaimers in respect to the certificate saga.

Justice Ekwo granted the first prayer on the motion paper for, �An order of interim injunction restraining the defendants and respondents, whether by themselves, their directors from issuing, publishing disclaimer to the effect that the NYSC certificate of national service dated January 6, 2003, certificate No. A.808297 issued to the plaintiff Mbah Peter, in accordance with Section 11 of the National Youth Service Corps Decree No. 51 of 1993 was not issued by the National Youth Service Corps pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction filed in this suit.�

The plaintiff on the motion paper stated that, �After graduating in law from the University of East London in 2000, he returned to Nigeria and as a prerequisite for practising as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, applied and was admitted into the Bar part 1 programme of the Nigerian Law School.�

He said upon completing the Bar Part 1 Exam, he had to wait for the Bar Part 2 programme, and was advised that instead of spending time idling around, he should proceed to the mandatory one year NYSC programme.

The plaintiff said he was called up for the NYSC and was deployed initially to the Nigerian Ports Authority Apapa Quays for his primary assignment but was rejected by the NPA, before securing the law firm of Ude & Associates.

�The plaintiff in the course of his service year and after six months of NYSC, applied and was approved to defer the NYSC in order to enable him to complete the Bar final exam.

�Thereafter, the plaintiff was re-mobilised to finish the NYSC programme, which he did complete.�

Mbah averred that upon completion of the NYSC service, he was issued the certificate of National Service No. A.808297 dated January 6, 2003.

Consequently, the trial judge ordered the applicant to serve the defendants with court processes within two days of the order.