Enugu State Governor-elect, Peter Mbah, has taken legal action against the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) by filing a ₦20 billion suit at the Federal High Court.
Mbah alleges conspiracy, deceit, and misrepresentation of facts by the NYSC.
The lawsuit was initiated following a motion ex-parte presented by Mbah's counselb and was granted by Justice Inyang Ekwo on Monday, May 15, 2023.
As a result of the lawsuit, NYSC has been restrained from disclaiming Mbah's certificate.
Mbah's suit seeks a declaration that he actively participated in the NYSC scheme, supported by a call-up letter with the number FRN/2001/800351 and a Lagos code of LA/01/1532.
Furthermore, he claims that upon completion of the program, he was issued a National Service certificate with the number A808297.
Mbah alleges that the corps engaged in fraudulent design, suppressing and misrepresenting facts to assert that his certificate of national service was not issued by them.
He argues that this claim is false and constitutes an act of conspiracy.
Additionally, Mbah accuses the defendants of negligence and maliciously misrepresenting facts.
He claims that the defendants were aware or should have been aware that the facts they presented were untrue and that they should have reasonably foreseen the resulting damages from such negligent misrepresentation.
Supporting the motion on notice, an affidavit sworn by Grace Udeagha provides further details. It states that Mbah, after graduating in law from the University of East London in 2000, returned to Nigeria.
To practice as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, he applied and was admitted into the Bar Part I program at the Nigerian Law School.
The affidavit also reveals that upon completing the Bar Part I examination, Mbah had to wait for the Bar Part II program. During this time, he was called up for the NYSC and was deployed to Lagos State.
Six months into the NYSC program, the Nigerian Law School scheduled the commencement of the Bar Part II program, also known as Bar Finals.
Mbah received an admission letter to the Nigerian Law School on June 20, 2002. Consequently, he applied to the State Director of NYSC for deferment of the NYSC year 2001/2002.
The NYSC Directorate Headquarters approved his application for deferment with reference number NYSC/DHQ/CM/M/27, dated August 6, 2002, under reference LA/01/1532.
Upon completing his NYSC service, Mbah was issued the NYSC certificate No. A808297, dated January 6, 2003.
This certificate certified that he successfully completed one year of NYSC from January 7, 2002, to January 6.
No specific date has been set for the hearing of the motion in court.