NEWS
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”
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.
The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.
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Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.
He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.
In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.
“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.
“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”
The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.
“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”
He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.
“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.
The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.
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