REVEALED: Stella Oduah absconded from NYSC after being deployed to Lagos in 1982
The National Youth Service Corps has revealed that former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah absconded without completing her mandatory one-year NYSC programme.
NYSC, according to The PUNCH, revealed this in a response to an inquiry by a group known as the Concerned Anambra North PDP Stakeholders.
In the letter marked NYSC/DHQ/PPRU/783/Vol III by the Director-General of the NYSC which was signed on his behalf by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, the agency said Oduah was posted to Lagos for her NYSC in 1982 but absconded.
The NYSC had in its letter denied colluding with Oduah who is representing Anambra North senatorial district to hide the truth from the public after the concerned groups allegation in their previous letter.
“In response to your request, we wish to state that the facts of the matter remain as follows: Stella Adaeze Oduah was mobilised for national service in 1982/1983 service year and deployed to Lagos State.
“After the orientation course, she absconded and never completed the national service. The consequence of this is that she is not qualified for the issuance of the certificate of national service,” the NYSC letter read in part.
Oduah had in her form CF001 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission in 2019, claimed that she completed her NYSC but her certificate was missing along with other credentials.
“Sometime in 2010 while in transit from Akili Ozizor in Ogbaru Local Government Area to Abuja, I discovered that some of my personal belongings were missing.
“The missing documents are the originals of my West African School Certificate of 1978 from Zixon 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, Lawrence Virginia, USA; National Youth Service Corps certificate 1983, national identity card, United States of America Social Security card with numbers in it,” Oduah said in an affidavit.
Section 2 (1) of the NYSC Act, mandates every Nigerian who graduates to “make himself available for service for a continuous period of one year from the date specified in the call-up instrument served upon him.”
It would be recalled that former finance minister, Kemi Adeosun was forced to resign from office after it was discovered that she forged her NYSC discharge certificate.
