The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brig Gen YD Ahmed, has been accused of conspiring with politicians to sabotage Enugu State Governor-elect, Peter Mbah.
The Centre for Defence of Human Rights and Truth in Nigeria (CDHRTN), which made this known at a press conference on Monday, said the goal is to truncate the will of Enugu people.
Obaike Francis, the convener of the group, spoke in reaction to the Enugu State Governor-elect Peter Mbah’s alleged NYSC certificate scandal.
Mr. Francis said instead of Ahmed providing evidence to back his claims that Mbah falsified his discharge certificate, the NYSC DG has embarked on a media trial of the People’s Democratic Party’s stalwart.
According to Francis, this is a shameful path considering the gains of the scheme in the past, adding that the state may be heading towards anarchy if not checked.
“As a group, we are alarmed at the politicization of the operations of the NYSC by the director general, which is indeed worrisome and an indication that the lofty ideal with which the NYSC was established is about to be rubbished on the alter of politics,” he said.
“The fact that the NYSC DG could engage in a media frenzy by issuing press statements and live appearances on Television programs smacks a mockery of what the NYSC represents.
“It is also baffling that the NYSC DG, in his rants and vilification of the Governor-Elect of Enugu State, did not avail to the press the certificate presented by the Governor-Elect of Enugu state and what made it fake.
“Our opinion is that issues of this nature should be backed by documentary evidence and not mere word of mouth through media trials. This is an aberration that all well-meaning Nigerians must condemn.
“This action is injurious to the image of the NYSC. It rubbishes whatever gains the NYSC has recorded in recent times. It further reinforces the call for the scrapping of the NYSC for outliving its usefulness in the scheme of things in the country.
“It is our firm opinion that the NYSC has no business in politics as this action is, by extension, a call for anarchy given that the swearing-in of elected governors is some days away. The question thus is: what does the NYSC stand to prove with this highly divisive action?
“Could the NYSC have become a veritable tool for politicians to truncate democracy in Nigeria? The NYSC Discharge Certificates are printed with security features and serial numbers.
“Consequently, the NYSC still needs to provide evidence that the serial number on the certificate presented by the Enugu State Governor-Elect belongs to someone else. And if that can’t be provided, it indicates that the NYSC is playing to the gallery by acting under the whim and caprices of some vested interests that wish to truncate the smooth transition of power in Enugu State.
“Understandably, the Governor-Elect is a member of the opposition party hence the attempt to cause a distraction by all means necessary. If the Governor-Elect is of the APC, would the NYSC act similarly?
“We are tempted to believe that some politicians wanted to exploit that window of the break in service year to truncate the swearing-in of the democratically elected governor of Enugu State.”
The Centre, therefore, called on the NYSC to immediately issue a retraction and public apology to Mr. Peter Mbah.
