The judge concluded that the corps was mischievous and acted in bad faith by denying Mbah’s NYSC certificate.
By Jeffrey Agbo
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday ruled that Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate is authentic.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in his judgment, held that the Director General of the NYSC and the corps, who were defendants in the suit, were guilty of misrepresentation of material facts.
The judge held that the certificate presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by Mbah was authentic and validly issued by the NYSC.
Justice Ekwo further held that evidence before the court showed that the governor, though mobilised for service in 2001, completed his service in 2003.
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According to the court, Mbah, midway into his service, sought and, after receiving permission from the NYSC to attend the Nigeria Law School, was reinstated into the NYSC in 2003.
Besides, the judge said that while the NYSC did not challenge the evidence that Mbah served in the law firm of one Udeh, he criticized the corps for not charging the governor for forgery if they believed that they did not issue the said NYSC certificate to him.
He concluded that the NYSC was mischievous and acted in bad faith by denying Mbah’s NYSC certificate.
The court awarded N5 million in damages against the NYSC.
Mbah had sued the NYSC and its Director of Corps Certification, Ibrahim Muhammad, for publishing a disclaimer denying the issuance of the document issued to him on January 6, 2003.
