“Frivolous, mischievous, and politically motivated,” the Igbo Mandate Movement Group, a civil society organization, denounced a petition against Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The group said the action is the most recent in a long-running campaign purportedly intended to damage the public image and political career of one of the most well-known politicians in the South-East.
The petition, written by Mr. John Aikpokpo-Martins, a former First Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association, was sent to the National Youth Service Corps and the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee. It asked for a review of documents pertaining to Kalu’s career background and national service record.
According to a news release issued by the Igbo Mandate Movement Group and signed by Igboeli Arinze Napoleon, its National Coordinator, the petition is part of a pattern of credential issues that have followed Kalu throughout his ascent. Detractors claimed that Kalu had never graduated from the University of Calabar when he was nominated as a Commissioner in Abia State. This was refuted when Kalu went on to get an LL.M. and a Ph.D. from the same university and gave its 50th Anniversary Convocation Lecture. When he ran for office to represent Bende Federal Constituency, it was initially claimed that he had completely avoided NYSC service. After this was refuted, the accusations changed to allegations that his NYSC certificate was a fake, which needed to be officially refuted with a letter from Brigadier General Y.D. Ahmed, the NYSC Director-General at the time. “With yet another version of the same debunked story, the same forces of regression have returned,” the group claimed.
Regarding the latest petition’s content, the group outlined Kalu’s 2010 service year statistics. His graduation from the University of Calabar in 1998 was not immediately absorbed by the Nigerian Law School, which at the time had only two campuses in Lagos and Abuja. As a result, many law graduates had to wait years to get admitted. During this time, Kalu traveled overseas to obtain additional credentials. He was assigned to the Enugu North Local Government Area after being mobilized for NYSC in 2010 and working in the Chairman’s office after returning to Nigeria. In addition to becoming a Platoon Leader and receiving the Citizenship and Leadership Award, he actively participated in camp activities.
By a stunning coincidence, he was accepted to the Enugu Campus in Agbani, just thirty minutes away from his NYSC station, at the same time that he received his long-awaited Law School admission. He was given the option to honor both duties at the same time, rather than postponing entrance and waiting an additional three to four years or terminating his NYSC service in violation of the NYSC Act. He was able to complete his LGA responsibilities prior to starting Law School classes thanks to the organization of his major assignment timetable. He excelled academically, exceeding the required 70% Law School attendance threshold, meeting all weekly and monthly NYSC clearance requirements, and being one of only three students chosen to join the research team of the esteemed Professor Ernest Ojukwu, the then-Director-General of the Nigerian Law School.
Regarding the legal matter, the group contended that any NYSC rulings that critics attempt to use are of a prospective character; they specify what “shall not” be done in the future and cannot be applied retroactively to Kalu’s 2010 service. The remark stated that laws are not inherently retroactive.
Such statements are not legally binding and would not stand up to the scrutiny of an affidavit given under oath. A call to the Bar is a professional qualification, the group stated, and throughout their service year, corps members throughout Nigeria frequently obtain professional certificates in management, cybersecurity, project management, and accounting, all while possessing complete NYSC knowledge.
The group’s statement went beyond supporting Kalu to demand immediate policy change. It still takes years for thousands of Nigerian law graduates to be admitted to law school after graduating. The group contended that Kalu’s experience, both in 2010 and now, when it is being used against him, reveals a systemic flaw that necessitates a legislative solution. This response should guarantee that law graduates can enroll in the Law School on time and that legal profession corps members are not penalized for acting pro-actively and in good faith while navigating a dysfunctional system.
Finally, the statement said, “Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu deserves commendation — not condemnation.”
The group urged the NYSC and LPDC to dismiss the petition with the disdain it merits.
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