National Youth Service Corps has declared that former Aviation Minister and Senator representing Anambra North, Stella Oduah, has been working and occupying public offices for decades without a valid NYSC discharge certificate.
NYSC Director General, in his reply to a letter of request by a group, Concerned Anambra North Peoples Democratic Party Stakeholders, which had written the body to validate the lawmaker’s claim that she lost her NYSC certificate, said though the former minister was mobilised for national service in 1982/83 service year and deployed to Lagos State, she abandoned the scheme immediately after orientation and never returned to complete the service.
The NYSC DG, in the letter dated May 24, 2022, with reference number NYSC/DHQ/PPRU/783/ VILIII, and signed on his behalf by Eddy Megwa, wrote, “The consequence of this is that she is not qualified for the issuance of the certificate of national service.”
Oduah had in 2014 deposed to an affidavit and obtained a police extract stating that sometime in 2010 while traveling from Akili in Ogboru Local Government Area to Abuja, she lost some of her personal belongings.
A copy of the affidavit read, “I Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah, Christian, Adult , Nigeria Citizen, Politician of Umuoma Village, Akili, Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State do hereby make oath and depose as follows:
- That I am the dependent of the affidavit.
- That I am a native of Akili Ozizor in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.
- That sometime in 2010 while in transit from Akili Ozizor in Ogbaru Local Government Area to Abuja I discovered that my personal belongings were missing.
- That the missing documents are the originals of my West African School Certificate of 1978 from Zixton Secondary School Ozubulu, First School Leaving Certificate from St. John Odoakpu Onitsha, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Certificate 1982 from St Paul’s College Lawrencevile Virginia USA, National Youth Service Corps Certificate 1983, National Identity Card, United States of America Social Security Card with the number on it.
- That all efforts are to trace the missing documents proved abortive.
- That I made this affidavit in good faith believing same to be true and correct and in accordance with the Oaths Act.”