In a significant legal development, the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on Monday that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) must pay N5 million in damages for falsely alleging that the discharged certificate of Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, was fake.
Justice Inyang Ekwo delivered the judgment, stating that the NYSC’s Director General and the organization itself were guilty of misrepresentation of material facts.
The court affirmed the authenticity of the certificate presented by Governor Mbah to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), confirming that it was validly issued by the NYSC. The evidence presented during the case revealed that Governor Mbah, who was mobilized for service in 2001, completed his service in 2003 after seeking permission to attend the Nigeria Law School. The court also noted that the NYSC did not challenge the evidence that Governor Mbah served in a law firm during his service.
Justice Ekwo criticized the NYSC for not charging the governor for forgery if they genuinely believed that the certificate was fake. He concluded that the NYSC’s actions were mischievous and in bad faith.
Governor Mbah had filed a lawsuit against the NYSC and its Director, Corps Certification, Ibrahim Muhammad, after they published a disclaimer denying the issuance of his discharge certificate on January 6, 2003. The court had previously restrained the NYSC and Mr. Muhammad from engaging in such publications pending the resolution of the case.
In response to the ruling, the NYSC had argued that Governor Mbah did not follow the required procedure of appealing to the president before instituting the lawsuit. However, the court disagreed, stating that an appeal to the president was not a condition precedent for initiating legal action in this case.
This judgment marks a significant victory for Governor Mbah and serves as a reminder of the importance of due process and fairness in legal matters concerning public figures.v