By Jennifer Amarachi
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has demobilised 54 illegally mobilised graduates of University of Calabar in order to prevent Certificates of National Service being awarded to unqualified individuals.
The Director General of the scheme, Brigadier-General Yusha’u Ahmed, announced this in Abuja on Friday, in a statement issued by the the Scheme’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, adding that unauthorized graduates would be prosecuted accordingly.
He said our of the 54, nineteen of them initially registered online for mobilization, have been prevented from service, while four (4) Certificates of National Service for other culprits, were not produced by the Scheme.
Following the invalidation of the certificates, the Pro-Chancellor of the University, DIG Udom Ekpoudom (retd.), commended the Scheme for exposing fake graduates who were fraudulently mobilised, pledging to take action against staff involved in the mobilisation of fake graduates from the institution.
The NYSC DG said that a bread seller had been illegally mobilized from the University, and praised the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Florence Obi, for informing the NYSC about the illegal mobilisations.
Recall that the NYSC earlier on Monday annulled the certificates of 101 illegally mobilized UNICAL graduates who participated in the scheme between 2021 and 2023.
“The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar came here to report that she observed some names appeared on the institution’s list and they ought not to have been there. She checked the list the school gave us and I told her that their certificates would be invalidated. I give kudos to the Vice-Chancellor.
“Previously, a bread seller was mobilised on the graduation list from the same institution, there are bad eggs in many places that generate matriculation numbers and courses for their candidates”, the DG said.
He also noted that the Scheme would increase its collaboration with the heads of Corps producing Institutions and other important stakeholders in the country to combat the threat.
Ahmed went on to say that any failure in the mobilisation process from any school reflects on the integrity of the management of that institution, noting, “Those who are responsible for imputing the data of graduates should be people of integrity.”
He urged all firms in the country to verify the authenticity of Certificates of National Service provided for job placement by the NYSC.
