Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) on Monday expressed concern over increasing cases of certificate forgery of public documents including educational results and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificates by some politicians and public office holders.
The CLO Treasurer, Mrs. Halima Ibrahim who raised the alarm during a press briefing held in Abuja, however, tasked the Judicial Arm of Government on the need to protect existing institutions especially the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) from being decimated.
She said: “We have called you here in fulfillment of a core patriotic duty to defend our Public institutions, particularly the NYSC against the increasing assault by the ruling political elite in Nigeria to undermine the independence and sanctity of public institutions to satisfy their primitive and unpatriotic desires.
“As you all know, the NYSC scheme was founded by Gen: Yakubu Gowon’s regime in 1973 as part of the postwar initiatives to deepen national unity and cohesion in Nigeria. Since the past 50 years of its existence, the NYSC has sustained its integrity and remained consistent with its records of achievements and service to the Nation.
“Over the years, the NYSC has demonstrated exemplary courage and fairness in the discharge of its duties and responsibilities, and, has in all cases, refused to be cowed by the barbaric intimidations of politicians.
“For example, in 2018, the NYSC and, indeed, many patriotic Nigerians fought off all intimidations by the powers that be at the time when it was discovered that a serving Cabinet Minister was not in possession of a genuine discharge certificate issued by the NYSC. This incident eventually led to the sack of that cabinet minister from the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
“Also, in 2019, a nominee of the immediate past President on the Board of PENCOM from the North West was subsequently removed when she was unable to produce her NYSC discharge certificate.
“As can be evidenced from the above instances, one can easily see that Nigerians and the people in power have always reckoned with, and respected the sanctity of the NYSC and the discharge certificate it issues.
“However, there is an emerging dangerous trend that needs to be nipped in the bud before it destroys the NYSC as a public institution of repute. This trend has to do with the increasing cases of certificate forgery by some politicians and ruling elites in Nigeria.
“The CLO is concerned and dismayed that some public office holders in the country who occupy offices of public trust are involved in the forgery of public documents including educational results and the NYSC discharge certificate. More worrisome is the fact that some of these individuals who are quite powerful are challenging anyone including the courts who dare to question their nefarious actions.
“In some cases, as the CLO has discovered, these individuals end up being aided by some agents of other institutions of the state to undermine investigations in pending cases. Many of these cases are yet to be resolved but remain quite troubling.
“In the last six months, the country has witnessed two festering cases which are yet to be resolved. One of the cases involved the current Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Peter Mbah and the other, a serving Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ms. Hannatu Musawa.
“The case of Ms Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy is disturbing. She is currently a serving member of the NYSC before her appointment as a Minister by President Bola Tinubu. Her case has instigated unnecessary debate by some lawyers and Nigerians who are now sharply divided.
“Some lawyers who are defending her appointment rely on the provisions of Section 147 of the 1999 constitution particularly sub-section 5. It states that no person shall be appointed as a Minister of the Government of the Federation unless he is qualified for election as a member of the House of Representatives.
“The question is what are the qualifications for election into the House of Representatives? This we find in section 106 of the 1999 constitution. You must be a citizen of Nigeria, you must have attained the age of 25 years, and you have been educated up to at least a school certificate level, or its equivalent. You must be a member of a political party and you must be sponsored by that political party. But the same Constitution also makes it mandatory for any University graduate in Nigeria to possess the NYSC discharge certificate.
While noting that the moral burden is on Musawa to reject the appointment and resign her position immediately, urged President Bola Tinubu to invoke his powers under the constitution to immediately withdraw her appointment, if she refuses to resign.
The group also noted that: “in the Enugu Governor’s case, the NYSC has proven beyond all reasonable doubt that the certificate the Governor parades was not issued by them, yet Nigerians have watched as the Governor keeps launching orchestrated judicial onslaughts and media campaigns of calumny against the NYSC.
“As citizens are treated to this macabre drama orchestrated by Mr Peter Mba against the NYSC, the CLO wishes to draw public attention to a settled case as espoused recently by the Supreme Court in Oyetola Vs Adeleke that it is only the issuing authority of a certificate that has the sole authority, to the exclusion of any other authority or entity, to validate or repudiate the certificate issued by that authority.
“As a leading human rights organisation that consistently advocates for constitutional democracy, rule of law, due process, justice and equity and equality of all before the law, the CLO is further concerned that Mr Peter Mbah and his lawyers knew this, yet, they threw everything into the ring to stop the NYSC from coming to testify at the Enugu State Governorship Election Tribunal. What was he afraid of?
“The case of the Enugu State Governor has become a moral burden on the country and his continued stay in office presents an affront on the Constitution, the grund norm of our laws.”
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNEÂ
and then