NYSC is the hero, JAMB is the mediocre and INEC is the rogue
2 min read
By Emeka Ugwuonye
When it comes to Nigerian institutions, the hero is not JAMB. Rather, the real hero is the NYSC, while the INEC is the rogue.
Many people have been supporting JAMB for crushing a teenage offender with such ruthlessness. Yet, nobody is praising NYSC for the courage it showed in Peter Mbah’s case.
Peter Mbah is a Governor for the time being. He has so much money at his disposal. He is backed by all the money bags in Enugu and even Anambra State. He spent twenty billion naira in his campaign, and similar amount in buying INEC. Can you imagine how much money Peter Mbah and his friends must have offered NYSC leaders just for them to defend his fake NYSC certificate? Indeed, NYSC leaders didn’t even have to do anything at all. They only had to just keep quiet just for one month. After all, a court order was already in place to keep them quiet. They could just have collected Mbah’s money and kept their mouths shut. But they didn’t. They chose to stand by the truth. That is an unprecedented act of courage and patriotism in Nigeria.
Having spent so much to get this far, Peter Mbah would gladly pay Ten Billion Naira to the NYSC leader just for him not to say a word about Mbah’s fake NYSC certificate. When Peter Mbah obtained an ex parte order apparently ordering NYSC not to make any statement against Mbah’s fake certificate, I suspected that was a trick. I assumed that it was done in conivance with NYSC to make it appear as if NYSC was forced not to do the right thing. But I was happy to be wrong on that. NYSC was not part of any Shenanigan. The day I listened to the Director General of NYSC on Arise TV, I felt ecstatic. I couldn’t believe we still had in Nigeria men who value principles and integrity over money. And the day I read the counter-affidavit sworn by NYSC official against Peter Mbah, I was full of joy.
When NYSC refused bribe and decided to stand by truth, Peter Mbah and his lawyers resorted to intimidation using litigation as the weapon of choice and seeking an injunction to stop NYSC from coming to testify at the hearing. Again, NYSC showed courage and called their bluff and showed up, and testified gallantly.
I have been wondering: where is our appreciation for good deeds? Just as we condemn evil, we need to praise good. Regardless of the outcome, one thing is clear today. There is an agency of Nigerian Government whose leaders turned down billions of naira and stood by principle. We cannot keep quiet about that. All Nigerians need to acknowledge them.
