The Department of State Services (DSS) has countered the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) to the effect that the Enugu State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election, Dr. Peter Mbah forged his NYSC discharge certificate.
In a report tendered to the state Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday, the service also lampooned the NYSC of shoddy and hasty investigation in coming to the conclusion that Mbah’s NYSC discharge certificate was fake, saying that certificates in his series were found to have been issued to corps members in Lagos, contrary NYSC’s claim.
Mbah, who was declared winners of the March election, is the governor of Enugu State.
But the Labour Party (LP) immediately countered the DSS report, describing it as personal and not emanating from the service because it did not bear the letterhead and stamps of the service.
In a Statement on Oath adopted by its representative, Mr. Yahaya Isa Mohammed, at the ongoing Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Enugu, the DSS disclosed that the NYSC had misplaced Mbah’s original file and opened a temporary one for him, after he had returned from Law School to complete his NYSC.
Mohammed, who is the DSS Deputy Director of Operations and Strategic Department, was subpoenaed to give evidence in defense of Mbah’s NYSC certificate.
He 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, adding that the security agency commenced investigation into the discharge certificate controversy following Mbah’s petition dated 8th February 2023.
He added that Mbah’s NYSC certificate issue arose because the NYSC had issues with maintaining a proper record keeping system.
Mohammed said that in DSS findings, it discovered that: “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”.
During cross examination, LP lead counsel, Chief Adegoke Awomolo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, observed that the report presented by the DSS official did not come with the letterhead and stamps of the security agency as against the normal practice, and sought to know the reason from Mohammed, to which he responded that his signature sufficed.
When asked why he did not come to the court with authorising letter or directive by the DSS Director General, Mohammed said that he appeared in court because of the subpoena.
Asked why the report he presented did not have attached documents backing his statement, the DSS official said that they were in his office.
When he was asked if his investigation revealed that Mbah became the Chief of Staff to the then governor of Enugu State, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani between 10th July 2003 and November 2003, the same period he was supposed to be serving as corps member, Mohammed said no, adding that it was not within his purview to investigate that.
Earlier, the Independent National Electoral Commission on Wednesday, failed to present any witness to defend the allegation by LP candidate, Chijioke Edeoga that the 2023 governorship election that produced Mbah as governor was manipulated.
