Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State (middle); state Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Augustine Nnamani (left); and the governor-elect of the PDP, Peter Mbah
Photo: Ifeoma Nwovu/Radio Nigeria
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has restrained the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) from further publishing a disclaimer denying the issuance of certificate dated January 6, 2003, to the Governor-elect of Enugu state, Peter Mbah.
Ruling on an ex parte application by Counsel to the plaintiff, Emeka Ozoani (SAN), the court also barred the NYSC Director, Corps Certification, Ibrahim Muhammad from continuing to issue a disclaimer to the effect that Mr Mbah’s NYSC certificate was not issued by the NYSC.
The motion ex parte was predicated on 10 grounds.
Mr Mbah said after graduating in law from the University of East London in 2000, He returned to Nigeria and, as a pre-requisite to practice as barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, applied and was admitted into the Bar part-1 programme of the Nigerian Law School.
Mr Mbah said upon completing the bar part-1 exam, he had to wait for the bar part-2 programme, and was advised that instead of spending time idling away, he should proceed to the mandatory one year NYSC programme.
He said he was called up for NYSC and was deployed initially to Nigerian Ports Authority, Apapa, for his primary assignment but was rejected by the NPA before securing another law firm.
According to the plaintiff, in the course of his service year, he applied and was granted approval to defer the NYSC in order to enable him complete the bar final exam.
Mr Mbah averred that upon completion of the NYSC, he was issued the certificate of National Service on January 6, 2003.
The presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo adjourned the matter until May 22 for hearing of the motion on notice.
The NYSC had on February 1, this year, written a letter signed by Ibrahim Muhammed saying that the NYSC certificate belonging to Mr Mbah was not issued by the corps.
Mr Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the Enugu state governorship election held on March 18 and will take the oath of office on May 29 as Governor of Enugu State.
Reporting by Ifeoma Nwovu; Editing by Oluwaseyi Ajibade and Tony Okerafor