The University of Calabar (UNICAL) has commended the NYSC for releasing names of 93 unqualified persons that were fraudulently mobilised for the one year National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) following a complaint launched by the university in 2023.
Registrar of the University, Mr Gabriel Egbe, in a release on Tuesday, 13th August 2024, said that it was the university management that exposed the criminal act and brought it to the attention of NYSC and other organisations, and not the other way round.
The statement read: “We consider the action taken by NYSC to be a helpful step towards dealing a crushing blow on criminal impunity and desperation. While commending the Corps for this move, it is necessary to let the public know the facts about the whole uncanny story of the infiltration of our university portal with unqualified names for exemption from, and participation in, national service.
“It should be noted that it was the University Management that exposed this criminal act and brought it to the attention of NYSC and other organisations, and not the other way round.
“In September 2023, internal sources brought to our attention that a certain individual who had not graduated was on national service purportedly from our institution. We quickly launched an investigation which confirmed the allegation and revealed 10 more cases of infiltration of the NYSC portal.
“Arising from this report, we wrote on 4th October, 2023 to NYSC appealing that those 11 persons involved be apprehended and prosecuted.
“On the 24th of October NYSC responded in line with our resolve to launch a full scale investigation into the issue.
“On the 31st of October, 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, we 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, NYSC was notified on the 5th of November of the committee.
“The investigation revealed a staggering 167 new cases of criminal infiltration of the portal, making a total of 178 persons.
“We wish to state, as contained in the report, that the names involved were definitely not found in the records of the university as having graduated. The 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.
“Categorically, the names 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 mobilised by the university, as a matter of fact; but were somehow smuggled into the portal, from where we do not know. Not having these names in our graduation or mobilisation 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.
“Resolved on maintaining the integrity of the institution, management and academic excellence of the university, on the Ist of February 2024, a letter was sent to NYSC, which was received on the 6th of February, 2024. It contained 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 organisations to assist the university investigate further, apprehend and deal with the culprits accordingly.
“This necessitated the Vice-Chancellor of the University visiting and engaging the NYSC Director-General on this matter. A meeting was held with the D-G and the Directors to unravel how these names were mobilised.
“Management of the university 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 enthrone since 2021 despite the odds.
“The release by the Corps is sequel to the above developments. Mentioning the 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 an all-round re-positioning 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.
“We 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 we strongly believe that invalidation of certificates or De-Kitting of these culprits alone will not unmask the faces behind this fraudulent act.
“We cherish NYSC as a partner in progress and wish to use this opportunity to appreciate and re-state our commitment to working with the Corps and other relevant agencies to unravel the source of infiltration of the mobilisation portal that is strictly regulated by NYSC.”
