The National Youth Service Corps has expressed regret that the University of Calabar once mobilised a bread seller from its graduation list for the one-year mandated national service.
It stated that as part of its efforts to restore normalcy, it has demobilised 54 illegally mobilised university graduates in order to prevent Certificates of National Service from being awarded to unqualified individuals.
Eddy Megwa, the scheme’s Director of Information and Public Relations, issued a statement on Friday confirming this.
The statement described the NYSC Director General, Brigadier-General Yusha’u Ahmed, as saying this in Abuja on Friday, adding that the unauthorised graduates will be prosecuted accordingly.
He stated that 19 of the 54 individuals who first enrolled online for mobilisation were barred from serving, while the Scheme failed to issue four Certificates of National Service for other offenders.
Recall that the NYSC earlier on Monday annulled the certificates of 101 illegally mobilised UNICAL graduates who participated in the scheme between 2021 and 2023.
Following the invalidation of the certificates, the University’s Pro-Chancellor, DIG Udom Ekpoudom (retd.), praised the scheme for exposing fake graduates who had been fraudulently mobilised, promising to take action against staff involved in the mobilisation of fake graduates from the institution.
The NYSC DG disclosed that a bread seller had been illegally mobilised from the university, while commending the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Florence Obi, for hinting the NYSC about the illegal mobilisations.
“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 stated further that the Scheme would intensify its collaboration with Heads of Corps Producing Institutions and relevant stakeholders in the country to stop the menace.
Ahmed added that any failure in the mobilisation process from any school falls on the integrity of the management of such an institution, stating, “Those who are responsible for imputing the data of graduates should be people of integrity.”
He called on all employers of labour in the country to verify the authenticity of Certificates of National Service being presented for job placement from the NYSC.