EXCLUSIVE: Bayelsa state deputy governor Ewhrudjakpo and his certificate scandal

There is tension in Bayelsa state as certificate saga rocks the political class.

Mr. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the Deputy Governor of the state has recently been alleged to have forged his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate purportedly obtained in 1998.

The allegation of forgery first rocked the former Commissioner for Works in Bayelsa state under Former Governor Seriake Dickson when he vied for the office of the Senate, representing Bayelsa West, Senatorial District.

Before the Senatorial election could hold on 23 February 2019, one Ebisine Afamukoro had instituted a pre-election suit against Mr Ewhrudjakpo following the publication of candidates particulars by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mr. Afamukoro prayed the court to disqualify Mr. Ewhrudjakpo, having submitted false information and forged certificate to INEC. The court however struck out the suit on 10 October 2019 having failed to deliver its judgment within the statutory 180 days. However, the certificate saga rose its ugly head soon enough as one Benjamin Youdiowei filed a criminal complaint at the Grade 1 Area Court, Lugbe against Lawrence.

Despite being a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Area Court issued a bench warrant against Mr. Ewhrudjakpo and later ordered the Department of State Service (DSS) to investigate Mr. Ewhrudjakpo Certificate scandal.

Findings by NAIJA LIVE TV shows that Mr. Ewhrudjakpo allegedly attended Rivers State University of Science and Technology, now Rivers State University where he is alleged to have obtained an exemption certificate.

The year-long service, organized by the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), is compulsory for all Nigerians who graduate from universities or equivalent institutions at less than 30 years of age.

In addition to being a requirement for government and private-sector jobs in Nigeria, the enabling law prescribes punishment for anyone who absconds from the scheme or forges its certificates.

Eligible Nigerians who skipped the service are liable to be sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and/or N2,000 fine, according to Section 13 of the NYSC Act.

Section 13 (3) of the law also prescribes a three-year jail term or option of N5,000 fine for anyone who contravenes the provision of the Act.

Subsection 4 of the same section also criminalizes giving false information or illegally obtaining the agency’s certificate. It provides for up to a three-year jail term for such offenders.

Mr. Ewhrudjakpo’s official credentials obtained by NAIJA LIVE TV show that the deputy governor now parades a different NYSC exemption certificate dated 2nd February 1998 granting him exemption from the mandatory service on account of age purportedly issued in 2019.

HOW IT MAY HAVE HAPPENED

Mr. Ewhrudjakpo was allegedly admitted to study Secretarial Administration as a part-time/sandwich program at the then Rivers State University of Science and Technology, now Rivers State University. He is said to have been admitted into the school in 1991 but allegedly graduated in 1998, at the age of 32. According to his curriculum vitae, Mr. Ewhrudjakpo was born on 5 September 1965.

Having allegedly graduated at 32, it was not obligatory for Mr. Ewhrudjakpo to participate in the one-year national service, for him to qualify for any job in Nigeria.

This led to NYSC allegedly issuing him an exemption certificate in 1998. The certificate bears the name EwhruOjakpA Lawrence O. with serial number 139708.

Mr. Ewhrudjakpo’s certificate is dated 2nd February 1998 and was purportedly signed by Brig. General S.M. Dule who was director-general of the scheme since July 1996.

Mr. Ewhrudjakpo had used his certificate to gain different employments, holding various portfolios from 1998 until 2019, serving in different capacities as well as enjoying political patronage until 2019 he decided to run for the office of the Senate. Upon submitting his Form CF001 to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the senatorial elections, Mr. Ewhrudjakpo was dragged to the federal high court sitting in yenagoa for allegedly submitting certificates that contain false information and were allegedly forged.

While the matter was pending in court, Mr. Ewhrudjakpo wrote to NYSC to correct the name on his certificate. The letter which was sighted by NAIJA LIVE TV was dated 4 April 2019 signed by Mr. Ewhrudjakpo himself was written directly to the current director-general of the scheme.

However, by way of common practice, the NYSC does not deal with individuals directly for the purpose of correction/replacement of certificates. Such an application has to be routed through the institution of graduation.

The now sworn-in deputy governor allegedly had the surname on the purported certificate originally issued by NYSC in 1998 corrected. Though he claims through his lawyer, Mr. C. B. Kekemeke, Esq., it was corrected and re-issued to him by NYSC in 2019 even as the certificate still carries the same calligraphy, font size, serial number, and signature of Brig. General S.M. Dule which is placed exactly where the 1998 exemption certificate was placed.

Several current and former officials of the scheme who wouldn’t want their name mentioned told NAIJA LIVE TV that the NYSC would never deal directly with any individual but the institution of graduation. Issues of complaints and corrections for home trained graduates (part-time) are to be routed through the Institutions of graduation. The school then forwards such cases with necessary attachments such as photocopy of print-out to NYSC for the purpose of rectification or further necessary action. NYSC will never correct a certificate on its face because of a mere letter written by an individual. The officials confided in NAIJA LIVE TV that the purported 2019 exemption certificate which bears the name Ewhrudjakpo is might be forged as well.

The officials said Brig. General S.M. Dule, now retired, stepped down from the NYSC in December 2000 and has since retired to private life in Lagos therefore could not have signed any certificate for the corps in 2019.

This is reminiscent of the former Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun’s certificate forgery saga.

Mrs. Adeosun’s forged certificate is dated September 9, 2009, and was purportedly signed by Yusuf Bomoi, a former director-general of the corps.

Officials said Mr. Bomoi stepped down from the NYSC in January 2009, and could not have signed any certificate for the corps eight months after.

INSTITUTIONAL COMPROMISE AND REGULATORY CAPTURE BY POLITICIANS

Using the alleged forged certificate, Mr. Ewhrudjakpo went on to clinch the office of the Deputy Governor in Bayelsa state following the Supreme Court decision in PDP & 2 Ors v Biobarakuma Eremienyo-Dagi & 2 Ors SC.1540.

By the provision of Section 12 of the NYSC Act, employers must demand NYSC certificates from prospective employees. The law also mandates employees to present only genuine certificates for that purpose.

The DSS which is responsible for vetting credentials of individuals penciled for top government positions failed to make its investigation public despite being ordered by the Area Court in Lugbe to investigate Mr. Ewhrudjakpo’s Certificate Scandal.

We also recall how the NYSC was silent throughout former minister Mrs. Adeosun’s forgery saga of what could have been a result of regulatory capture.

The DSS also failed to detect Kemi Adeosun’s forged certificate which saw her clinch high profile jobs in the country before she was finally busted by investigative journalist who published the scandal on PREMIUM TIME NEWSPAPER.

Mr. Ewhrudjakpo’s forgery case at the Area Court was stopped by an order of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on 15 January 2020, it has however reared its head again like a cat with nine lives at the Bayelsa State Governorship Tribunal.

Mr. Vijah Opuama has taken Mr. Ewhrudjakpo, his party, People’s Democratic Party and the governor, Douye Diri to the tribunal alleging that they were not qualified to contest the election as at the time the election was conducted.

Mr. Opuama is asking the tribunal to disqualify them and order for fresh election.

PRESSURE TO WITHDRAW THE PETITION FROM THE GOVERNORSHIP TRIBUNAL

Before the pre-hearing which took place on 28/4/2020 of the petition filed by the governorship candidate of Liberation Movement (LM), Vijah Eldred Opuama, against Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), pressure was being mounted on the plaintiff to drop his petition.

Checks by NAIJA LIVE TV indicate that several emissaries from the PDP have been sent to Opuama appealing to him to drop the petition in exchange for an undisclosed sum of money and the promise of cabinet positions.

The emissaries are said to have met with Opuama and his close political associates pleading with him in the interest of the state and the Ijaw nation to withdraw the petition and save the state from avoidable distractions.

Chairmen of two political parties in the state who know Opuama personally are also said to have spoken to him, advising the LM candidate to withdraw his petition and cooperate with the PDP administration to form a government of unity in the interest of Bayelsans.

Opuama has, however, reportedly rebuffed all attempts to persuade him to withdraw his petition, purportedly saying that his petition was filed in the interest of Bayelsa State.

The LM governorship candidate, who recently raised alarm over threats to his life, said he is ready to pursue his petition up to the Supreme Court in order to get justice.

Opuama had hinged his petition on arguments that, as of the time of the governorship election, Ehwrudjakpo was not qualified to contest as he allegedly provided false information to the electoral commission to aid his qualification.

INTIMIDATION OF PUBLISHERS REGARDING THE CERTIFICATE SCANDAL

It is confirmed by NAIJA LIVE TV that there is a systematic clampdown by the state government on publishers who comment on the matter before the election tribunal.

Former commissioner for education in Bayelsa state, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite had warned against heating the polity in the state. He urged citizens to desist from the habit of commenting on the tribunal on social media and online platforms. Mr. Obuebite insists that those who do not heed will be dealt with by law.

Recently, the publisher of NAIJA LIVE TV, Mr. Mienpamo Saint was abducted by the DSS in Bayelsa state for allegedly publishing a fake story relating to Kogi state and was left incommunicado in their custody for four days.

The DSS had alleged on 12 May 2020 that Mr. Mienpamo was arrested on the behest of the Kogi state government who felt embarrassed by the report of ₦7billion isolation center destroyed by rain. Kogi state government have since denied the veracity of the report saying it never built an isolation center from the said amount.

In a well publicized retraction, Mr. Mienpamo was seen on National television apologizing to the people and government of Kogi state and as well as Bayelsa state inside the DSS facility.

Fact checked by NAIJA LIVE TV reveals that the purported apology was made under duress following accusations that the Bayelsa state government has a hand in Mr. Mienpamo’s abduction.

Kogi state government through its chief press secretary, Onogwu Galaticos, admitted via a Facebook post on 13 May 2020 that Mr. Mienpamo was arrested without the knowledge of the governor of Kogi state.

Also, shortly after his release, Mr. Mienpamo, in a press statement accused the Bayelsa state government of orchestrating his arrest on the 9th of May 2020. He alleged that the DSS did not show him any petition by Kogi state government or any other person that warranted his arrest and that he was continously asked about the Bayelsa state governorship tribunal matter and the subpoena served on the deputy governor of Bayelsa state to appear on the hearing day and tender documents which he published on NAIJA LIVE TV.

The chief press secretary of Bayelsa state, Mr. Daniel Alabrah has recently held talks with newspaper publishers in the state.

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