A Federal High Court in Abuja, has awarded N5 million in damages against the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, for alleging that the corps’ discharge certificate held by Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State was fake.
The trial Judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, in the judgment, held that the Director-General of the NYSC and the corps, who were defendants in the suit, were guilty of misrepresentation of material facts, as the certificate presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by Mbah was authentic and validly issued by the NYSC.
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The court held that evidence before the court showed that the governor, though mobilised for service in 2001, completed his service in 2003, noting that midway into his service, sought and, after receiving permission from the NYSC to attend the Nigeria Law School, was reinstated into the NYSC in 2003.
The trial judge also criticized the corps for not charging the governor for forgery if they believed that they didn’t issue the said NYSC certificate to him holding that the NYSC was mischievous and acted in bad faith by denying Mbah’s NYSC certificate.
Peter Mbah had sued the NYSC and its Director, Corps Certification, Ibrahim Muhammad, for publishing a disclaimer denying the issuance of a discharge certificate issued to him on January 6, 2003.
Justice Ekwo, had on May 15, restrained the NYSC, Muhammad, and any of their agents from, henceforth, engaging in such publication pending the hearing and determination of the substantive matter.
But the NYCS, in a preliminary objection sought an order dismissing the suit for want of jurisdiction and competence.
Editor Paul Akhagbemhe
