A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a preliminary objection filed by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) against Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah.
The objection was filed by the NYSC and its Director of Corps Certification, Ibrahim A. Muhammad, in response to Mbah’s suit seeking an order proclaiming the authenticity of his NYSC discharge certificate.
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In his ruling, Justice Inyang Ekwo said that the NYSC’s preliminary objection was “sad” and had “wasted the time of the court.”
He also noted that the section of the NYSC Act cited by the NYSC is applicable to prospective members of the service corps or any person who is a registered member and that Mbah, as a sitting governor, is not required to make any presentation to the presidency by way of an appeal or otherwise.
As a result of the ruling, the case will now proceed to trial. The hearing is scheduled for September 21 and 22.
The NYSC had claimed that the Certificate of National Service bearing Mbah Peter Ndubuisi with Certificate Number: A808297 forwarded for verification was not issued by the NYSC. However, Mbah dismissed the disclaimer, insisting he never forged his NYSC discharge certificate.
In his main suit, Mbah is seeking “an order that the plaintiff’s certificate of National Service Number A808297 is authentic and was validly issued by the NYSC,” among other prayers.
He is also asking the court to declare that the press release issued by the NYSC regarding his Certificate is deceitful and was “intended albeit to inflict damages in his legal profession, politics, business, as it was to unlawfully profit the NYSC and its DG.”