The NYSC in all sincerity deserves all the kudos it is getting now both in and outside of this country for giving Nigerians hope that we still have people/institution in Nigeria that can look at corruption in the face
By Ikeogu Jeremiah
If there is any take home which 2023 general elections have afforded Nigeria and Nigerians, it is for us to know that we still have one institution standing in Nigeria such as NYSC that has remained incorruptible.
The display of zero tolerance to corruption by the agency over the years to this material point in our political history when the scourge of corruption has eaten up other institutions in our nation is a clarion call to all Nigerians to rally round the agency, rather than allowing people of questionable characters like Peter Mbah of Enugu State and few other hardened certificate forgers to destroy the agency before our very eyes.
The NYSC in all sincerity deserves all the kudos it is getting now both in and outside of this country for giving Nigerians hope that we still have people/institution in Nigeria that can look at corruption in the face and say to hell with you monster!!!
Nigeria has become a failed state because of institutional decay; where Police, DSS, INEC, University Professors and Ph.D holders and their employers; the politicians are all involved in the deep mess of corrupt activities for the personal interest of the later against the collective good of the masses.
Today in Nigeria, you cannot even vouch for the court who ordinarily should be the last hope of a common man, because politicians who have oluwale (forged) certificates, will procure the services of these erudite Professors of many years in their meritorious service to our father land, maybe as INEC permanent or Adhoc staff, just to rig election for them. And at that point, police will aid them, and when the matter goes to the court, DSS will come with fake report to support the politicians who they all know that they have criminally forged one certificate or the other, or rig the elections in their favour, thus stealing the mandates of the people by fire by force and with impunity, asking the original winners of such election to “GO TO COURT!”
Fortunately, NYSC as an institution has given Nigerians every reason to believe that this country could get better some day.
Why Nigerians are praising the NYSC is because of their uncompromising stand in both cases of Mr. Peter Mbah, the interim Governor of Enugu State, and the recent inaugurated Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, federal republic of Nigeria, Barr. Mrs. Hannatu Musawa where against all odds, this institution that deserves an AWARD of all time hero of democracy in Nigeria stood their ground and insisted that the two fellow were wrong in parading forged certificates of the agency.
Now let’s look at the similarities of Barr. Mrs Musawa’s case and that of Mr. Peter Mbah.
- She lied that she collected her certificate when she absconded like Mr. Peter Mbah did.
- She tried intimidating the NYSC, citing laws that are not applicable, and again, tried to use high authority just like Peter Mbah who went to court to slam #20billion damage charge against the agency and again, procuring a fake DSS Officer who came with a piece trash of a paper which he called report.
- She also claimed that the serial number on her already collected discharge certificate has a mistake just like Mbah’s procured DSS personnel told the court which was targeted to mislead the Court.
- She equally claimed that the NYSC authorities are against her, same way Peter Mbah claimed that NYSC was against him.
- The beauty of what NYSC has done is that they stuck to their gun and insisted that none of them will submit to their intimidation even when Mbah through his lawyer Chief Ozoani (SAN) asked the Court to commit the DG NYSC to prison for violating the ex-parte order because of the DG’S appearance on AriseTV during their 50 years anniversary.
Nigerians should therefore rise in unison, and give our unflinching support to NYSC and encourage the complete ban of people like Mr. Peter Mbah and Mrs. Hannatu Musawa from participating in politics any longer.
* Barrister Ikeogu Jeremiah wrote from Enugu.