By Uche Mbah
Former Aviation Minister, Senator Stella Oduah, has asked the Director General of the National Youth Service Corp, NYSC, to retract a statement credited to him concerning her NYSC and discharge certificate.
News of alleged forgery of the NYSC certificate by the Senator made headlines on Wednesday, after it was confirmed by the NYSC that she absconded without completing her Service after the Orientation.
But Senator Oduah is angry. She says she has been defamed.
In a letter she sent to the DG, titled “48 hours Notice To Retract Your Statement A s Contained In Your Letter Dated 24TH May 2022 Ref No. NYSC/DHQ/PPRU/783/VOL III”, and signed by Ezennia Nonso Chukwudebe,
Director
Media/Publicity, Oduah described the statement as “reckless” and “irresponsible”.
Her letter reads:
“Our attention has been called to your scandalous letter referenced above in which you acknowledged that Sen. Stella Oduah was mobilized for Youth Service in 1982 and served in the Lagos Orientation camp but then concluded that she “absconded” and was not issued a certificate of discharge.
“That reckless statement which we consider grossly irresponsible no doubt suggests that it was procured from you for political considerations in favour of Sen. Oduah’s political detractors. We are shocked that you condescended so low to make such false and unverified conclusions which is damaging to her character and image.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Sen. Oduah’s NYSC place of primary assignment was the popular Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA). When a similar allegation was made by her political contenders in 2017, NECA issued a letter dated 11th January 2017 Ref No: NECA/SELA/H4 confirming that she carried out her NYSC primary assignment with them. Find attached a copy of that letter for reference as well as a photograph of our client as a youth corper
“That issue also attended litigation and she has a court judgment in her favour in the case of Chinedu Emmanuel Emeka v. Princess Stella Oduah , EPT/AWK/SEN/13/2019
“Ordinarily, one need not be bothered about any other similar allegations in the light of the aforesaid judgment and the fact that NYSC is not a constitutional qualification to hold any public office in Nigeria, but your statement has, to a large extent, defamed her
“In your exact words, ‘after the orientation course, she absconded’ It is curious how a person who had participated in all NYSC activities at the Orientation Camp can be said to have ‘absconded’ because she left for her place of primary assignment as it was routine. It is either you chose to ignore your record or your office has failed to keep proper records.
“You are by this letter given 48 hours to retract your statement failing which legal actions shall be commenced against you.”
