NYSC Certificate Invalidation: " We Wrote to NYSC in 2023 appealing that 11 persons involved in criminal act be apprehended and prosecuted" -Unical Management

The Management of the University of Calabar has reacted to the trending story of the invalidation of certificates issued to 93 unqualified persons fraudulently included in the mobilisation portal for NYSC. 

In a release by the Registrar of the University of Calabar, Mr Gabriel Egbe noted that Whereas the University Management views the action taken by the NYSC as dealing a crushing blow on criminal impunity and desperation, the institution commends the Corps for the move.

The Registrar in the release said it has become expedient to state the facts about the uncanny story of the infiltration of the University's portal with unqualified names for both exemption and participation in National Service for the benefit of the public.

The release noted that  it was the University that first exposed this criminal act by bringing it to the knowledge of the NYSC and not the other way round as suggested by the way the story is couched.

A chronicling of the University Management's battle with this menace shows that in September 2023, when internal sources first drew the University authorities attention that a certain individual who has not graduated was on national service purportedly from the university, Management launched an investigation which confirmed the allegation revealing 10 more cases of infiltration of the NYSC portal.

Arising from that, Management wrote on 4th October, 2023 to NYSC appealing that  those 11 persons involved be apprehended and prosecuted.

On the 24th of October, 2023, NYSC responded in line with our resolve to launch a full scale investigation into the issue.

Again on the 31st of October, 2023, the University wrote to ICPC Uyo Resident Office inviting the agency to wade into the matter. 

Though management had agreed to work quietly with NYSC and security agencies to apprehend the culprits, the University had to set up a full scale investigative committee due to unfolding events.

The committee concluded its work on the 18th of December, 2023. Meanwhile, the NYSC was notified on the 5th of November, 2023 of the above committee.

The investigation by the committee revealed a staggering 167 new cases of criminal infiltration of the portal, making a total of 178 persons.

The Management of the University of Calabar wishes to state, as contained in the  trending report, that the names involved were definitely not found in the records of the university as having graduated. 

These records include: Senate Approved Results (SAR), Summary List (for printing of certificates), and Master List (in NYSC format for upload), all presented by respective departments. 

For the avoidance of doubts, the University hereby State categorically,  that the names (As published in the report) were not presented by the departments and were not uploaded on the portal, hence they are not found in the hard copies printed from that portal and presented to NYSC in pre-mobilisation workshops.

In other words, these unqualified people were not mobilized by the University of Calabar, as a matter of fact; but were somehow smuggled into the portal, from where the University does not know. 

Not having these names in our graduation or mobilization list clearly means that their certificates purportedly from our university are also  fake.

The investigation necessitated the suspension of the Data Entry Officer, Mr. Obi Obi Endurance who is being investigated by ICPC.It is also worthy to note that resolved on maintaining the integrity of the institution, management and academic excellence of the university, on the 1st of February, 2024, a letter was sent to the NYSC, which was received on the 6th of February, 2024.

That letter contains the findings and recommendations of the investigation with all details of the 178 names, stating their suspicious matriculation numbers and departments. 

The same letter was forwarded to ICPC, Abuja Office, Federal Ministry of Education and NUC, urging those agencies and organizations to assist the university, investigate further, apprehend and deal with the culprits accordingly. 

This necessitated the Vice-Chancellor of the University to visit and engage the NYSC Director-General on the matter. And indeed, a meeting was held with the NYSC D-G and other Directors to unravel how these names were mobilized. 

The University of Calabar Management therefore wishes to assure the general public and especially, our esteemed Alumni that the University of Calabar remains committed to maintaining the culture of excellence that this administration has fought hard to be enthroned since 2021 despite the odds. 

The University Management wants to believe that the release by the NYSC is  sequel to the above developments.M

Mentioningthe University of Calabar in this saga does not, and should not, in any way diminish the phenomenal achievements already recorded by the present university administration in her determined effort to ensure an all-round re-positioning of the University for greater efficiency.

The Management of the University of Calabar shares the confidence that, in the same patriotic spirit of exposing these 93 names as had been urged, NYSC would equally issue a release about the remaining 85 persons out of the 178 reported by the University without any further prompting.

Management also call on ICPC to please conclude its investigation (which we know is in progress) to truly unravel what has remained a mystery to the Management of 

the University as Unical strongly believe that invalidation of certificates or De-Kitting of the culprits alone will not unmask the faces behind this fraudulent act. 

The University of Calabar will continue to cherish the NYSC as a partner in progress and wish to use this opportunity to appreciate and re-state Management's commitment to working with the NYSC and other 

relevant agencies 

Public Relations Unit 

University of Calabar