A civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) has accused the director-general of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Yushau Dogara, of leading a campaign of calumny against the governor-elect of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, in the discharge certificate saga that ensued since the beginning of the year.
HURIWA, in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said it was surprising that the NYSC DG would lead a propaganda campaign against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate and winner of the March 18 governorship election in Enugu State.
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The group said the NYSC DG is suspected to have made a sudden U-turn claiming that Mbah was not issued an original certificate by the service.
HURIWA said Dogara might be working for opposition parties who are dissatisfied that Mbah won the poll against the Labour Party and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last election.
HURIWA therefore asked the federal government, especially the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation to constitute a panel and probe the shenanigan of the NYSC DG against Mbah and other victims of NYSC certificate blackmail.
The group alleged that anytime enemies want to carry out a smear campaign against a winning politician or government official, NYSC is the go-to place to achieve their crafty devices.
According to them, the case of former finance minister, Kemi Adeosun, is still fresh in the minds of Nigerians.
“At 50, NYSC has sadly become an instrument for mischievous politicians to weaponise their political detractors. We recall back in February when we called on the new NYSC DG to dismantle a syndicate issuing fake NYSC certificates to members of the public,” he said.
Onwubiko recalled that Mbah was given a letter by the NYSC national headquarters dated 7th May, 2003 (reference number NYSC/DHQ/CM/27/20) to the state director, Lagos, NYSC, re-mobilising him for the remaining part of his service year, after a break by the express and written permission of the agency, to complete Bar Part II (Bar Final).