Enugu Governor, Mbah Asks Court to Dismiss NYSC’s Objection to His N20bn Suit

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Enugu State Governor, Mr. Peter Mbah yesterday, urged a Federal High Court in Abuja, to dismiss the preliminary objection filed by the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC), against the N20 billion lawsuit he filed against the agency.

Mbah had slammed the law suit against the NYSC over alleged conspiracy, deceit, and willful misrepresentation of facts against him over the authenticity of his NYSC discharge certificate.

But, the NYSC is objecting to the hearing of the suit, on the grounds that the governor failed to exploit other mechanism of resolving the certificate saga.

According to the lawyer to the NYSC, Aminu Sadauki, Mbah should have first petitioned or appealed to the Presidency if he was aggrieved about any actions or statements by the corps, rather than approaching the court straightaway, adding that, it was only when the Presidency was unable to resolve the matter that he would have the right to approach the court.

Responding, Mbah’s lawyer, Mr. Emeka Ozoani, urged the court to dismiss NYSC’s objection on the grounds that he was neither a serving corps member or an employee of the NYSC, adding that Section 20 of the NYSC Act, which the defendant referred to in its preliminary objection does not apply to him.

After counsels in the matter adopted and argued their written addresses, the trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, announced that ruling in the objection would be delivered on September 22.

At the last adjourned date, Justice Ekwo had warned against reporting what never transpired in court and also struck out an application by the candidate of the Labour Party in Enugu State in the March 18 governorship election, Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, seeking to be joined in the lawsuit as an interested party.