A rights group, Save Nigeria Movement (SNM), has raised the alarm over alleged plans by Anambara state governor-elect, Mr Peter Mbah to sponsor protests against the management of the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC) for failure to validate the certificate he presented to have carried out the mandatory one year national service.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Monday with the title, the need to expose arm twisting tactics and planned protest against NYSC by politicians, convener of the group, Solomon Semaka maintained that it was unacceptable for any individual no matter how highly placed to attempt to bully the scheme for being courageous in defence of truth.
“Credible intelligence at our disposal has indicated that the Governor-elect and his party, the PDP are plotting together with their cronies to sponsor Civil Society Organisations (CSO) to embark on dastardly smear campaign against the Scheme. We want to state categorically that this so-called protest is dead on arrival as we will massively mobilise all Nigerians to resist any such attempt,” Semaka stated.
Recall that Mr Mbah had sued the NYSC and its Director, Corps Certification, Mr Ibrahim Muhammad, for publishing a disclaimer on the issuance of a discharge certificate issued to him on January 6, 2003.
According to the CSO, the NYSC has over the years proven to be one of the agencies that has demonstrated integrity in the discharge of its responsibilities over the years and urged Mbah not to politicise the certificate issue but to come clean of the source of his credential.
“The future of Nigeria and any nation at all lies in the integrity, sanctity and strength of her institutions. It is our duty as individuals and corporate citizens to protect the sanctity of these institutions and other structures of state on the principle of justice and truth. It is therefore based on this premise and in keeping with our mandate of upholding good governance in a bid to rescue Nigeria from lawlessness that we gather you here today.
“The NYSC has distinguished itself as one of the most consistent and impactful institutions since its establishment 50 years ago. There has hardly been any scandal associated with the Scheme in regarding the security and authenticity of her certificates.”
