The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, issued an order of interim injunction, restraining the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, from issuing or publishing a disclaimer to disown the certificate of service the Governor-elect of Enugu state, Mr. Peter Mbah, tendered in aid of his qualification.
The court, in a ruling that was delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo, directed that the restraining order should be served on NYSC’s Director of Corps Certification, Mr. Ibrahim Muhammad.
The order followed an ex-parte application that was brought before the court by the embattled governor-elect who was accused of submitting a forged NYSC certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Mbah had in the application he filed through his team of lawyers led by Mr. Emeka Ozoani, SAN, maintained that contrary to the allegation against him, he was on January 6, 2003, issued a certificate of service No. A. 808297, upon the completion of his NYSC.
He told the court that after he studied law and graduated from the University of East London in 2000, he returned to Nigeria and as a pre-requisite to practice as a lawyer, applied and was admitted into the Bar Part 1 programme of the Nigerian Law School.
“The plaintiff upon competing the Bar Part 1 exam had to wait for the Bar Part II programme. He was advised that instead of spending time idling around should proceed to the mandatory one year NYSC programme. “The plaintiff was initially posted to Nigerian Ports Authority Apapa Quays for his primary assignment but was rejected by NPA. Subsequently, the plaintiff secured the law firm of Ude & Associates.
“The plaintiff in the course of his service year and after six months of NYSC, applied and was granted approval to defer the NYSC in other to enable him complete the Bar final exam.
“Thereafter, the plaintiff was re-mobilized to finish the NYSC programme, which he did completed.”