Enugu Gov’ship: CSOs demands investigation of NYSC certificates of public officers
By Tom Okpe
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) and the Patriotic Defenders of National Institutions have called for a nationwide investigation into the authenticity of National Youth Service Corps, (NYSC) certificates issued to individuals, holding public offices.
The associations said the credibility of these certificates must be verified to maintain public trust and uphold certification integrity.
They also, said the call became necessary in light of the controversy, surrounding the NYSC certificate of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, and the outcome of the State Governorship election petition tribunal on the matter.
National Coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko in a statement on behalf of the groups insists on a thorough and impartial review of the Enugu State Governorship Petition Tribunal’s judgment to ensure, justice was served, as ‘the evidence presented by the NYSC and the allegations of certificate forgery warrant a comprehensive reexamination of the case.’
They maintained that the revelation from the NYSC allegedly casts serious doubt on the authenticity of the service’s discharge certificate presented by the Governor, thereby, raising significant questions about his eligibility for the poll.
The statement equally asked that the rule of law must be upheld without exception, as it maintained that the tribunal’s decision should align with established legal principles, and justice should be administered impartially.
While noting that the judiciary must remain independent and free from bias on the matters before it, especially as it regards the governorship poll in the state, the statement pointed that, “HURIWA and Patriotic Defenders of National Institutions emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into the allegations of over-voting and BVAS bypass during the election adding that, “Electoral integrity is paramount for democracy.”
Onwubiko in the statement lamented that both bodies were concerned about the position of the Tribunal.
“The Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal’s decision has raised serious questions about conduct of the tribunal, the credibility of our institutions, including the National Youth Service Corps, (NYSC), the Department of State Security, (DSS), the Judiciary and the broader implications for the certification process in Nigeria.”
Furthermore, the statement regretted that the tribunal’s judgment undermines the integrity of the country’s certification process, “not only for the NYSC, but other certifying bodies.
The group stated that the rule of law is a fundamental pillar of democracy saying, “it appears that the tribunal’s judgment may have departed from established legal principles.
“The rule of law guarantees that justice is administered impartially, without bias. We demand a thorough review of the judgment to ensure the rule of law prevails.
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“The credibility of elections is paramount for democracy. The accusations of over-voting and bypassing the BVAS during the election in Nkanu East local government area, as raised by the Labour Party, (LP) demand a comprehensive investigation to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.”
It was also asserted that, “the judgment delivered by the Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal can only be described as a miscarriage of justice and a fundamental jurisprudential flaw,” the statement stated.
