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CSOs Vindicated on Enugu Governor-elect’s NYSC Certificate Concerns
A group of civil society organizations that had raised concerns about the authenticity of Enugu governor-elect Mr. Peter Mbah’s certificate obtained from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has claimed vindication.
The coalition recently petitioned the NYSC, urging them to verify the certificate as their position has been supported by the Director General of NYSC, Brig. Gen. YD Ahmed, who had stated that the discharge certificate held by Enugu State Governor-elect, Barr. Peter Mbah, was determined to be fraudulent and not issued by the organization.
During an appearance on Arise Television’s breakfast programme on Friday, the Director General of NYSC addressed the controversy surrounding the validity of Mr. Peter Mbah’s NYSC certificate.
He firmly stated that there is no debate regarding the matter, as he had already informed the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the 2023 governorship elections that the certificate presented by Mbah was proven to be counterfeit.
“Everyone knows how we issue our certificate in NYSC we don’t give it in hotel rooms or houses,” he had said.
Reacting, the groups, Total Support for the Rule of Law and Justice Initiative and Enugu Progressive Forum, whose petition to the NYSC, led to the development, said it has been vindicated.
The coalition hailed the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps “for his boldness and forthrightness in declaring that the certificate of National Service being paraded by Mr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah is fake.”
The groups in a press statement issued on Friday, expressed their sense of vindication. The statement, released to the press by Director Compliance Oluseyi Adegbenjo Esq, highlighted that their position has been substantiated by the Director General’s remarks during a live interview on national television.
“The DG pointedly denied that the NYSC issued the said certificate and admitted that Mr Peter Mbah approached the Corps following our exposure of the forgery and that he was shown proof why the NYSC is of the belief that it did not issue the said certificate,” the statement read.
The groups insisted that Mr Peter Mbah should confess and apologize to the people of Enugu for the embarrassment he has caused them by holding the doubtful certificate and bringing the entire state to disrepute following the controversy the issue has caused.
“When Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun was exposed for parading a fake certificate, she ran away. So we believe it is time for Mr Peter Mbah to run away from Enugu now before it is too late.
“If he waits for a Court to make a pronouncement on the fake certificate, then he should be ready to go to jail” the statement continued.
The groups also demanded apology from the Enugu governor-elect “for the unprintable names. He had also called us a faceless group parading forged letters.”
“Now that Mr Peter Mbah has confirmed that we are not a faceless group parading forged letters, we urge him to accept responsibility and also to apologise to us for the unprintable names he called us” the groups added.
Enugu State Governor-elect has taken legal action against the NYSC and its Director, Corps Certification, Ibrahim Muhammad. He has filed a lawsuit before the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking damages amounting to N20 billion.
The governor-elect alleges conspiracy, deceit, and misrepresentation of facts.
In response to a motion ex-parte by Mbah’s counsel, Emeka Ozoani, SAN, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted “An order of interim injunction restraining the defendants and respondents whether by themselves, their directors, officers, servants, legal representatives, counsel or any other person or persons howsoever described and connected, from issuing, publishing or continued to issue, publish disclaimer to the effect that the NYSC certificate of National Service dated 6th January, 2003, certificate No. A808297 issued to the Plaintiff, Barrister Mbah Peter Ndubuisi, in accordance with Section 11 of the NYSC Decree No. 51 of 1993 was not issued by NYSC pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed in this suit”
The Enugu State Government has commended the Republic of Finland for the arrest of Simon Ekpa, a Finland-based leader of the proscribed separatist group, Autopilots.
Ekpa has been accused of orchestrating violence and chaos in Nigeria’s South East region.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, the government described Ekpa as a “common criminal, con man, and terrorist” who has exploited the Igbo people while claiming to represent their interests.
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“The Enugu State Government welcomes the arrest of the Finland-based terrorist, Simon Ekpa,” the statement read.
“His arrest and trial will no doubt go a long way in strengthening peace, security, and stability in all parts of the South East.”
The state government accused Ekpa of sponsoring violent activities that have resulted in the loss of lives, destruction of property, and disruption of the region’s economic activities.
It stated that Ekpa’s actions were driven by personal greed and not genuine concern for the Igbo people.
Onyia said, “Ekpa is a murderer and fraudster who delights in killing his people and living large off their misery.
“He thrives on manipulating, exploiting, and extorting the people on the pretext of fighting for their interest and for the restoration of Biafra.”
The government emphasized its readiness to provide evidence of Ekpa’s alleged crimes to support his prosecution, whether in Finland or Nigeria.
“This arrest is in line with the demand of the Governor Peter Mbah Administration, which has repeatedly made it known that Ekpa is a megalomaniac, common criminal, murderer, and fraudster who takes joy in feeding fat on the manipulated emotions of Ndigbo and inflicting misery on the South East region,” the statement added.
The government further criticized Ekpa for fostering a climate of fear and insecurity that has harmed the entrepreneurial spirit and economic growth of the Igbo people.
“Ekpa has for long, and unfortunately from Finland, made a living by creating a siege climate and mentality in the South East, destroying lives, property, and the Igbo trademark of entrepreneurship and hard work,” Onyia said.
The Enugu State Government expressed optimism that Ekpa’s arrest would mark a turning point in the quest for peace and stability in the South East, urging residents to remain vigilant and supportive of ongoing efforts to restore normalcy in the region.
The COP29 presidency has unveiled an ambitious climate finance plan, calling on developed nations to provide $250 billion annually to developing countries by 2035.
The proposal, part of a broader initiative to mobilize $1.3 trillion from public and private sources each year, seeks to address the mounting challenges posed by climate change.
The five-page draft text, released on Friday, emphasizes the need for developed nations to lead the charge in financing climate action.
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According to the document, this financial commitment is seen as a critical step toward combating the climate crisis and fostering sustainable development globally.
“In this context, it is decided to set a goal in extension of the goal referred to in paragraph 53 of decision 1/CP.21, with developed country Parties taking the lead, to USD 250 billion per year by 2035 for developing country Parties for climate action,” the draft states.
The announcement follows the release of an earlier 10-page draft on Thursday, which drew significant criticism from Global South delegations.
Many expressed frustration that the document lacked clear financial commitments from wealthier nations, falling short of expectations to support adaptation and mitigation efforts.
“There is a clear need to address the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, especially given the diverse circumstances shaping national priorities,” a negotiator from a developing country delegation remarked.
The updated proposal aims to address some of these concerns by outlining more specific targets. However, skepticism remains among some negotiators, who feel the revisions still fail to adequately address their demands.
Meanwhile, developed countries have raised their own reservations about the proposed plan.
A European negotiator, speaking to Reuters, described the $250 billion annual target as unrealistic and criticized the lack of measures to expand the pool of contributing countries.
“No one is comfortable with the number because it’s high, and there’s almost nothing on broadening the contributor base,” the negotiator said.
The mixed reactions underscore the persistent divide between developed and developing nations in climate negotiations.
While the draft text aims to reconcile these differences, the gap between expectations and commitments remains a significant hurdle.
The President of the African School of Governance, Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu has admonished state actors against resorting to brutal force in the bid to muscle out separatist agitators.
In the aftermath of Mazi Simon Ekpa, the Finland based Biafran nationalist agitator being caught in legal web and the Nigerian government moving swiftly to seek his repatriation, the former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has cautioned that ‘We either fix our problems, or our problems will eventually “fix” us. No alternative to a renegotiated union.’
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The political economist, while expressing his hope in Nigeria, made it clear that “hope is not a strategy”.
He bared his mind in a series of posts on his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X on Friday.
Moghalu wrote, “Despite sustained contemporary difficulties, I am hopeful about Nigeria. But hope is not a strategy. We need to improve state capacity for effective governance.
“We either fix our problems, or our problems will eventually “fix” us. No alternative to a renegotiated union.
“We must learn to be honest with ourselves and address the root causes of our problems. Why ignore them, when the problem is actually quite solvable? The problem with continuing with this approach is that when the danger crystallizes, those who thought they were benefiting from
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