CSOs Seek Independent Probe Into Interior Minister’s NYSC Records

CSOs has seek independent probe into the Interior Minister’s NYSC records.

NewsRain Nigeria reports that the Niger Delta Think Tank on Good Governance, led by its Convener, Ambassador Gregory Oritsetimihin, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to institute an independent and transparent review of issues arising from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) records of the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

The call was made on Monday during a press conference, where the group cited official correspondence between Premium Times and the NYSC obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

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Addressing journalists, Amb. Oritsetimihin said the demand was not an attempt to indict the minister but a principled appeal for accountability, due process, and public confidence in Nigeria’s institutions.

According to the civil society group, an official response issued by the NYSC on August 8, 2023, confirmed that Dr. Tunji-Ojo was mobilised for national service in 2006, absconded from the programme, and later resurfaced in 2019, when he was re-mobilised and redeployed to the Federal Capital Territory.

The statement further noted that his Certificate of National Service was eventually issued in February 2023, several years after the expected completion period.

“These facts were not drawn from speculation or social media narratives but were provided directly by the NYSC itself,” the group stated.

The think tank also clarified that universities, rather than the NYSC, are responsible for the mobilisation of graduates, stressing that issues relating to mobilisation, redeployment, and certification are matters of serious institutional responsibility and require objective and transparent review.

The group described absconding from the NYSC scheme as a violation of existing laws and civic obligations, warning that unresolved questions surrounding the programme, especially involving a serving public official, could damage public trust and reinforce perceptions of selective accountability.

While urging calm, the coalition appealed to the President to demonstrate leadership by constituting an independent panel to review the matter and make its findings public.

It also recommended that the Minister be relieved of his duties pending the outcome of the investigation, describing such a step as an administrative safeguard rather than a punitive action.

According to the group, a transparent review would protect the integrity of the Presidency, uphold the credibility of the NYSC, and safeguard the reputation of the Minister.

“Accountability is not persecution, and inquiry is not condemnation,” the think tank said, adding that Nigeria’s democracy is strengthened when issues are addressed openly and in line with due process.