The Department of State Services (DSS), has refuted claims by the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) that the incumbent Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, forged his discharge certificate.
Recall that the NYSC had accused Mbah, who was the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the 2023 general election of presenting a fake certificate.
However, the DSS, in a report presented to the Enugu Election Petition Tribunal, said the NYSC has a history of shambolic record keeping, added that the investigation into Mbah’s discharge certificate scandal was shoddy and hasty.
The DSS in a statement on oath adopted by its representative, Yahaya Isa Mohammed, at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, disclosed that the NYSC had misplaced Mbah’s original file and opened a temporary one for him, after he had returned back from Law School to complete his NYSC.
Mohammed, DSS Deputy Director, Operations and Strategic Department, who was subpoenaed to give evidence in defense of the certificate noted that NYSC was also unable to trace to whom or which state or states of the federation 12 of its certificates, A808297 to A808308 were issued.
According to him, the security agency commenced investigation into the discharge certificate controversy following a petition to it by Mbah dated February 8, 2023.
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He said in their findings, they discovered the following: “Mbah served for six months and went to Law School and later completed his youth service
“We discovered that Peter brought application from Law School through the Lagos State NYSC office to national headquarters
“The correspondence has a reference number: and the letter was replied permitting him to go to law school. After his Law School, he reapplied through the same means for reinstatement to complete his service
“We discovered a temporary file was used for reference. That means his initial file could not be traced.
“NYSC provided the six-series certificate which was signed and collected by corps members and the eight series
“We discovered that the numbers are in series. But NYSC could not account for 12 certificates among which includes Mbah’s certificate.”
In an immediate reaction, the Labour Party (LP) countered the report, describing it as personal and not emanating from the DSS because it did not bear the letterhead and stamps of the service.
During cross examination, LP’s lead counsel, Adegoke Awomolo, sought to know the reason from Mohammed, to which he responded that his signature was enough.
Responding to why he did not come to the court with authorizing letter or directive by the Director General of the DSS, Mohammed said he appeared in court because of the subpoena.
Asked for reasons the report he presented did not have attached documents backing his statement, he answered that they were in his office.
