The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has issued an order restraining the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) from further denying issuing the Certificate being paraded by Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment on Monday, held that evidence before the court showed that Mbah properly participated in the NYSC programme and that the NYSC issued him a certificate of completion.
Justice Ekwo rules that the NYSC misrepresented facts in its claim that it did not issue the certificate Mbah submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the last governorship election.
The judge faulted the NYSC for not producing before the court, two files containing information about Mbah’s participation in the programme, noting that the corps handled the case with levity.
Justice Ekwo, therefore, awarded N5 million in damages against the NYSC, and in favour of Mbah.
The Enugu governor was alleged to have forged his NYSC certificate to contest for the governorship election on March 18, 2023.
Mbah had, before his inauguration on May 29, sued the NYSC and its Director, Corps Certification, Ibrahim Muhammad, for publishing a disclaimer denying the issuance of a discharge certificate to him on January 6, 2003.
Justice Ekwo had, on May 15, restrained the NYSC, Muhammad and any of their agents from, henceforth, engaging in such publication pending the hearing and determination of the substantive matter.