Ugwumba Uche Nwosu campaign council’s ICT/social media department has debunked recent reports making rounds that a frontline gubernatorial aspirant of the APC, Uche Nwosu was disqualified from the contest on account of not possessing the National Youth Service Crops (NYSC) certificate, which is mandatory for all Nigerian graduates under the age of 30, at the time of graduation, stating that the story is false and baseless.
In a press release issued in Owerri and signed by the co-ordinator of the ICT social media outfit, Barrister Uche Mike Ezirim and made available to the press, the organization claimed that the educational background and qualifications of Uche Nwosu are not questionable stating that he (Ezirim) was a school mate of Uche Nwosu at the Imo State University where the guber aspirant studied Regional and Urban Planning, whereas he read law.
The release averred that Uche Nwosu’s academic records from primary to tertiary levels are excellent showing that he was gifted and unique in student unionism with the welfare of his fellow students at heart.
The Uche campaign council enumerated a number of Nwosu’s past achievements stating that he is a man of grace and “when the grace of God is upon you no man can stop it”, adding that the organization would not spare time in refuting such rumours spread by men who feel they can beat Uche in 2019 elections.
It would be recalled that barely 48 hours to the APC party primary election meant to select a governorship candidate for the 2019 election, a group in the state under the umbrella of “Imo State Political Observers Forum (IPOF)”, led by Chief Emma Chris Dike, challenged the former Chief of Staff to the state Governor, Uche Nwosu, to make public his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge Certificate or Exemption letter to that effect, within 24 hours in order to clear doubts and allegations making rounds that he did not participate in the mandatory one year NYSC scheme.
The group stated that “this is the time for him to make his NYSC record clear without hesitation or hide and seek, to avoid facing the kind of disgrace that forced a federal minister, to resign from office recently when it was proved that she forged her NYSC exemption certificate”.
The group also claimed that there are allegations that the aspirant did not participate in the compulsory NYSC scheme, as a result of series of carry over courses that hindered his eventual qualification and clearance for the service and is of the view that the burden of proof is on Uche Nwosu to provide evidence that he participated in the one year mandatory service or got an exemption certificate to prove the allegations wrong, otherwise the public will be left with the belief that he deliberately skipped the NYSC service, for fear of being seen as a poor student who could not even scale through a local job interview.
The Imo State Political Observers Forum explained that it is currently carrying out extensive investigations into the alleged claims by Uche Nwosu and if it is finally discovered that the allegation is real with undisputable facts and figures, “we shall not hesitate to blow it out of proportion and mobilize Imo people and other legal forces to fight him to a stand still”.
The group also stated that they will ensure that all the salaries he earned both as Deputy Chief of Staff, Commissioner for Lands etc are refunded to Government since it is legally wrong for any one with a degree or HND certificate who skipped NYSC to occupy the public offices he so far held, in the service of Imo State.
The group went further to elucidate that, “we all know that skipping the compulsory NYSC scheme, is an offence under the NYSC Act, punishable with 12 months imprisonment and employers are mandated by law to always demand the NYSC Certificate from employees as part of the conditions for hiring them. If truly he did not present himself for service to his father land after graduation, it is morally and legally wrong for him to present himself to serve Imo people as governor in 2019 general election”, they asserted.
If truly he did not present himself for service to his father land after graduation, it is morally and legally wrong for him to present himself to serve Imo people as governor in 2019 general election”, they asserted.
According to section 2 of the NYSC Act, it mandates all Nigerians who earn degree or Higher National Diploma (HND) from tertiary institutions in Nigeria and abroad, effective from 1972/73 sets to participate in the scheme. Those exempted by law are those above 30 years, persons with national honours and individuals who served in military and intelligence organizations.
Those exempted by law are those above 30 years, persons with national honours and individuals who served in military and intelligence organizations.
“There is an allegation that rather than enlist in the Compulsory National Youth Service scheme, Uche Nwosu went straight into politics. If this allegation is true, how did Imo State House of Assembly clear him to become Commissioner for Lands/Commissioner for Special Duties and other prestigious positions he held?”, the release added.
IPOF is of the view that if he fails to make public clarifications on this weighty allegation, the people may be compelled to believe his accusers and if no clarification is done within 24 hours, he should be arrested by the police, for prosecution and imprisonment.
It will be recalled that recently, the former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, resigned from office because it was confirmed that her NYSC exemption certificate was found be fake, though she claimed to have procured it through trusted relations upon completion of her university degree in the United Kingdom where she lived for several years.
