The University of Calabar has praised the NYSC for disclosing the identities of ninety-three unfit individuals who were fraudulently enlisted for the one-year National Youth Service Program in response to a complaint the university filed in 2023. The university’s registrar, Mr. Gabriel Egbe, signed a release that was made available to media on Wednesday, asserting that the university administration discovered the illegal act and reported it to the NYSC and other agencies, rather than the other way around. We view the NYSC’s action as a positive step in the direction of putting a severe dent in criminal impunity and desperation.
Although we applaud the Corps for this action, we also need to inform the public about the whole and disturbing tale of how unqualified names for national service exemption and participation were infiltrated into our university portal.
It should be mentioned that, rather than the other way around, University Management discovered this illegal activity and alerted NYSC and other organizations to it.
Internal sources reportedly informed us in September 2023 that a certain person who had not completed their degree was ostensibly enrolled in our college and serving national duty.
“We immediately started an investigation, which not only verified the claim but also turned up ten further instances of the NYSC portal being compromised.
In response to this information, we wrote to NYSC on October 4, 2023, pleading for the arrest and prosecution of the 11 individuals in question.
On October 24, NYSC took action in accordance with our determination to begin a thorough inquiry into the matter.
The University wrote the ICPC Uyo Resident Office on October 31st, urging them to look into the situation.
“Even though management had committed to working covertly with the NYSC and security services to capture the offenders, the course of events forced us to form a comprehensive investigation committee.
The committee’s work was completed on December 18, 2023. Meanwhile, on November 5th, NYSC was informed about the committee.
“These individuals’ certificates, which are supposedly from our university, must also be fraudulent, as they are not listed on our graduation or mobilization list.
The Data Entry Officer, Mr. Obi Obi Endurance, who is under investigation by the ICPC, had to be suspended as a result of the probe.
Sent to NYSC on February 1st, 2024, with the goal of upholding the university’s academic integrity, management, and quality, the letter was received on February 6th, 2024.
It included all 178 names, their questionable matriculation numbers, and departments, along with the investigation’s conclusions and suggestions.
“The same letter was forwarded to ICPC, Abuja office, Federal Ministry of Education and NUC urging those agencies and organizations to assist the university in investigating further, apprehend and deal with the culprits accordingly.
This made it necessary for the university’s vice chancellor to meet with and discuss the issue with the NYSC director general. A conference was convened to discuss the mobilization of these names with the D-G and the Directors.
“The University of Calabar’s management would like to reassure the public, in particular our respected alumni, that the institution is still dedicated to upholding the culture of excellence that this administration has worked so hard to establish since 2021 despite all obstacles.
The Corps’ release is a follow-up to the previously mentioned events. In no way does bringing up the University of Calabar in this story minimize the incredible accomplishments previously made by the current administration of the university in their overall repositioning for efficiency.
“We share the confidence that, in the same patriotic spirit of exposing these 93 names as we had urged, NYSC would equally issue a release about the remaining 85 persons out of the 178 reported by the University without any prompting,” It stated.