By Charly Onah
Since the commencement of the brouhaha over Bar. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah ‘s NYSC certificate by the opposition, I have remained calm, baffled, and observant.
My reason is because of the controversial circumstances surrounding the eruption of the saga, the untidy and incoherent way NYSC has handled it that has raised more questions than answers for them, how and why the Labour Party governorship candidate, Barr. Chijioke Edeoga and his social media hirelings, who are not the originators of the allegation of NYSC certificate forgery against Mbah became so obsessed with it and held unto it more than the NYSC and the initial accusers as if they have incontrovertible evidence to substantiate it.
We are all products of one higher institution and another. After graduation and with the exemption of those above 30 years of age, the majority of us participated in the one year NYSC programme, after which certificates were issued to us by the issuing authority (NYSC).
I am quite aware and could recall that some Corps members after the passing out parade from the Orientation Camps do arrange with some compromised NYSC officials to stay away from primary assignment to do other things of major benefits to them. These NYSC officials usually protect them and encourage abscondment for pecuniary benefits. These absconded Corps members only show presence and faces during monthly clearance and leave after.
At the end of the programme, they are issued certificates alongside their colleagues who did their primary assignments. So it is not impossible or new for a serving corps member to be serving and doing other things at the same time.
In short, I know of someone who was serving and running another programme in university at the same time. I am not encouraging or supporting truancy or abscondment during the NYSC programme, but I know that it was possible those days. I don’t know about now. That is Nigeria for you and their factors.
On the verification of the authenticity of certificates, while it behoves the issuing authority to do so, such is done with utmost diligence, integrity, and sincerity. Before it was revealed and confirmed at the tribunal recently by INEC staff that Mbah’s NYSC discharge
certificate was confirmed genuine and stamped by NYSC on the inquiry by INEC, which is the standard procedure, those who accused Mbah of forgery including the same NYSC have always made it look like Mbah’s certificate was never verified, authenticated and confirmed to be genuine by the same NYSC before NYSC’s volte-face that looked more political and compromised than procedural and administrative.
The INEC staff’s disclosure at the tribunal raised more questions on the sincerity of the NYSC on Mbah’s case. Does it mean that the NYSC that verified and authenticated the genuineness of Mbah’s certificate is different from the NYSC that claimed that Mbah’s certificate is fake? Why the double standard? This is the puzzle the tribunal must resolve in their judgment if it is within their jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, I vividly recall that upon graduation from higher the institution and doing my clearance to pick my degree certificate for NYSC mobilization, I presented my ordinary level certificates and others to my school for verification and confirmation. The verification was done between my school and the ordinary level certificate issuing authority (WAEC). I was not directly involved in the verification and confirmation process.
This was exactly what transpired between INEC and NYSC in Governor Mbah’s case which INEC staff has proved beyond doubt before the tribunal that upon inquiry from NYSC about GovernorMbah’s certificate, the issuing authority which is NYSC confirmed the authenticity of it after verification. The certificate was not submitted to NYSC direct by Governor Mbah, but by INEC, the institution Governor Mbah submitted all his documents to contest the governorship election.
At what point did the same NYSC that had earlier confirmed Governor Mbah’s certificate as genuine, realise that it was fake without proving it beyond reasonable doubt before the tribunal. It is not enough for the newly appointed DG of NYSC to appear on live television programme to dismiss Mbah’s certificate as fake or NYSC staff appearing before tribunal to collaborate his DG’s position without due diligence, incontrovertible evidence and standard procedure. Who in NYSC confirmed Mbah’s NYSC certificate as genuine for INEC before now? Who is NYSC that turned around and dismissed the same certificate as fake upon inquiry by the opposition and Mbah’s political enemies? These questions are begging for answers from NYSC because NYSC is now in the eye of the storm.
Obviously, there are more than meet the eyes in NYSC’s position on Mbah’s bogus certificate forgery. There are things some elements in NYSC know and are not telling Nigerians about the matter. I have seen cases where individuals challenged issuing authorities or institutions in situations like this and came out victorious.
That is what Governor Mbah is gearing towards in this matter. He is determined, focused, and unperturbed. He has shown that he is innocent of the accusation and allegation. Hence, he has left no stone unturned in proving his innocence beyond reasonable doubt. He has already dragged NYSC to court for maligning his character, claiming N20b damage. How this case will be determined both at election tribunal and court will go a long way in preserving the image and integrity or otherwise of NYSC and Governor Mbah.
For Edeoga and Labour Party to hang unto the NYSC certificate saga to oust Governor Mbah, it is becoming clearer from the tribunal proceedings that the task is too herculean and impossible, unless there are other things that are not before tribunal.
The above narrative doesn’t mean that I am preemptive or privy to the tribunal judgment on the matter, but I am talking from the point of view of what has transpired so far at the tribunal and Labour Party’s consistent faltering, lamentations, outcry and complaints, that had put the party and its candidate, Edeoga in a more disadvantaged and tight position than Governor Mbah and PDP even before the tribunal judgment. If this is even happening when Governor Mbah and PDP are yet to open their defence, what then will happen to Labour Party and Edeoga when Mbah and PDP open their defence and close their case? Your guess is as good as mine.
Just like the elections,
it is obvious that the Labour Party’s candidate, Edeoga, his supporters, and counsels were unprepared for the tribunal case, having
been choked with time and lack of evidence before closing their case on Sunday, July 16, 2023. Their appeals and motions for extension of time failed them because the tribunal proceedings is constitutionally time bound.
If It is true that the tribunal granted Labour Party access to inspect the BVAS since March, why do they wait till last minute to carry out the inspection, which they couldn’t carry out for want of time?
It is obvious that Labour left the nipples to suck the boils by dissipating more energies in fabricating and peddling of falsehood, lies, sentiments, emotions and propaganda on social media about the case than doing the needful before the tribunal.
Edeoga and his cohorts appeared more of social media bandits than genuine and serious petitioners at the tribunal. Worsening Edeoga’s case is the fact that his counsels appeared not to be grounded in election cases, hence they have always been overshadowed and intimidated by Mbah’s star-studded and expert counsels that have made names in election cases in Nigeria.
