By FOLASADE AKPAN
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has demobilised 54 “graduates” that were illegally mobilised for youth service by the University of Calabar.
The Director-General, NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Yusha’u Ahmed, said this in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Mr Eddy Megwa.
According to Ahmed, this is in line with the scheme’s continuous efforts to prevent unqualified graduates from getting the NYSC certificate of national service.
He said that the demobilised candidates would be prosecuted accordingly.
Ahmed said that another 19 candidates among them that initially registered online for mobilisation have been prevented from service, while four certificates of national service for other culprits were not produced by the scheme.
“This is in addition to the earlier 101 certificates that were recently voided by the scheme, making a total of 178”, he said.
The D-G commended the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Florence Obi, for her forthrightness in hinting NYSC on the mobilisation of unqualified graduates from the institution.
“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 D-G said.
Ahmed, however, said NYSC would leave no stone unturned towards sanitising its mobilisation process.
He also said that the scheme would intensify its collaboration with all the Heads of Corps Producing Institutions and relevant stakeholders in the country in order to stop the menace.
He added that any failure in the mobilisation process from any school falls on the integrity of the management of such institution.
“Those who are responsible for imputing the data of graduates should be people of integrity”, he said.
He called on employers of labour to verify the authenticity of certificates of national service being presented for job placement from the NYSC.
