The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has taken action against 54 graduates from the University of Calabar (UNICAL) who were illegally mobilized for the national service program.
This decisive move, aimed at preventing unqualified individuals from receiving the Certificate of National Service, was announced in a statement by Eddy Megwa, the Scheme’s Director of Information and Public Relations, on Friday night.
NYSC Director-General, Brigadier-General Yusha’u Ahmed, revealed that the demobilized graduates would face prosecution.
Out of the 54 identified, 19 were caught during the online registration phase and barred from participating in the service, while the certificates of four others were withheld by the NYSC.
Earlier this week, thediscovererng.com reports that the NYSC had invalidated the certificates of 101 UNICAL graduates mobilized between 2021 and 2023 due to similar fraudulent activities. The university’s Pro-Chancellor, DIG Udom Ekpoudom (retd.), praised the NYSC for exposing the malpractice and promised to take disciplinary measures against those involved within the institution.
In a startling revelation, the NYSC DG shared that a bread seller had been wrongly mobilized as a graduate from UNICAL. He commended the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Florence Obi, for reporting the fraudulent mobilization, underscoring the importance of vigilance and integrity in the system.
“The Vice-Chancellor of UNICAL identified irregularities in the graduation list and promptly reported them to us. Her actions are commendable. Previously, we uncovered a case where a bread seller was listed as a graduate from the same institution, highlighting the presence of bad actors who generate fake matriculation numbers and courses,” Brigadier-General Ahmed stated.
He assured that the NYSC would intensify its collaboration with heads of corps-producing institutions and other relevant bodies to address this issue. Ahmed also stressed that any lapses in the mobilization process tarnish the reputation of the institutions involved, and urged that only individuals with integrity be entrusted with the data entry of graduates.
Finally, the NYSC DG called on employers across the country to thoroughly verify the Certificates of National Service presented by job applicants to ensure that they are genuine and not fraudulent.
