By Wilson Adekumola
The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brig Gen YD Ahmed has denied issuing the discharge certificate to Enugu State Governor-elect, Peter Mbah, saying the certificate he was parading was fake.
Brig-Gen Ahmed made this known while featuring on Arise Television’s breakfast programme, on Friday saying that he was surprised that elites who had attended school would obtain fake certificate from black market.
The DG said, “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…I wonder how elites who have gone to school will resort to black market certificates.
“Everyone knows how we issue our certificate in NYSC we don’t give it in hotel rooms or houses.”
Peter Mbah has reportedly sued the NYSC, allegedly claiming N20 billion in damages for the injuries he claims have been caused him by the controversies surrounding his discharge certificate.
Mbah’s fake discharge certificate saga has been in the news since February 2023, when the NYSC, in response to an inquiry by a non-governmental organisation, released a letter explaining that the certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission was not issued by them.
Another letter disclaiming the certificate was again issued in April 2023 following another inquiry by an Aba-based law firm, Silver & Co. Associates.
Asked, the NYSC Director General said he was not aware of any purported suit, and will not respond based on hearsay.
“Concerning the suit, the NYSC has not been sued. I am yet to see anything from any court, all you are saying, I have been hearing from outside. I have not received any court order, but I must tell you, we do not tolerate certificate racketeering. If it is from any of our staff, that is not our problem. But that certificate is not from us,” he asserted.
Peter Mbah’s NYSC discharge certificate has raised concern over the possibility of many public office holders getting into office with fake qualifications.
It was said that , Mbah, through his lawyer, Emeka Ozoani, had recently obtained an order from a Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, restraining the NYSC and any of its personnel from commenting on the controversial certificate.
