Former Aviation Minister, Senator Stella Oduah is in hot soup.
National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) had in a letter replying to a request by the Concerned Anambra North Peoples Democratic Party Stakeholders said Oduah did not have a valid NYSC certificate.
Director-General of the NYSC said though Oduah was mobilised for the national service in 1982/83 and deployed to Lagos State, she absconded after the orientation and never completed the service.
“The consequence of this is that she is not qualified for the issuance of the certificate of national service,” the Director-General wrote in the letter dated 24th May, 2022 and signed on his behalf by Eddy Megwa.
In 2014, Oduah reportedly deposed to an affidavit and obtained a police extract where she stated that she sometime in 2010 while in transit from Akili in Ogboru Local Government Area to Abuja, she discovered that some of her personal belongings were missing.
Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and human rights lawyer has called for the recall and prosecution of the Senator representing Anambra North Senatorial District.
Adegboruwa said: “Oduah should be barred from seeking any elective positions and made to refund salaries and allowances she received as the Aviation Minister during former President Goodluck Jonathan administration and Senator.”
“Stella Oduah’s case is similar to that of Kemi Adeosun, former Minister of Finance, should be arrested and tried for perjury.”
“The court position on Adeosun’s case is that possession of NYSC certificate or even participation in that scheme is not a condition for seeking an elective office.”
“But if a person swears on oath that she participated but the certificate got lost and the agency said it didn’t have her record or she didn’t participate and she has lied on oath, that is perjury. She should be liable to be tried for lying on oath.”
“If she used that certificate to be elected as Senator, people should be able to go to court to reverse her election and she should refund all the salaries and allowances she has collected for that particular period and ensure that she is prosecuted by relevant law enforcement agencies.”
Be that as it may, Senator Stella Oduah has issued a 48-hour-ultimatum to the National Youth Service Corps to retract the allegation that she absconded from the service.
Her spokesperson, Ezennia Nonso Chukwudebe in a statement said:
“Ordinarily, we would never dignify such antics with a response but we deemed it necessary to put out this statement for the benefit of gullible minds that are being targeted by political jobbers whose stock in trade is churning out such concocted rubbish every election cycle, especially when it is becoming glaring that they are receiving the short end of the political stick.”
“The Distinguished Senator indeed served meritoriously at NECA in 1982 as can be confirmed from this 11th January, 2017 clarification from the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association personally signed by the Director General, O. A. Oshinowo.”
“Nigerians need to understand that the people behind the fake letter currently doing the rounds are desperate, despondent and out of their wits end for they instinctively appreciate the fact that the Distinguished Senator is one leader that continues to be appreciated and loved for her many people oriented programs and no amount of sponsored media mudslinging can obliterate this fact.”
For those who don’t know, Director-General of NYSC in response to a request by the Concerned Anambra North PDP Stakeholders on the status of Oduah’s NYSC participation and certificate, said though Oduah was mobilised for national service in 1982/83 service year and was deployed to Lagos State, she absconded after the orientation and never completed the service.