The management of the National Youth Service Corps has lamented that the University of Calabar once mobilised a bread seller on its graduation list for the one-year mandatory national service.

It said as part of moves to restore sanity, it has demobilised 54 illegally mobilised graduates of the university to prevent the award of Certificates of National Service to unqualified persons.

This was contained in a statement signed by the scheme’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, on Friday.

The statement quoted the Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier-General Yusha’u Ahmed, as disclosing this in Abuja on Friday, adding that the illegal graduates would be prosecuted accordingly.

He said of the 54, 19 of them initially registered online for mobilisation, have been prevented from service, while four Certificates of National Service for other culprits, were not produced by the Scheme.

Recall that the NYSC had earlier on Monday, invalidated the Certificates of 101 illegally mobilized graduates of UNICAL, who were part of the scheme between 2021-2023.

Following the invalidation of the certificates, the Pro-Chancellor of the University, DIG Udom Ekpoudom (retd.), commended the scheme for exposing fake graduates who were fraudulently mobilised, pledging to take action against staff involved in the mobilisation of fake graduates from the institution.

The NYSC DG disclosed that a bread seller had been illegally mobilised from the university, while commending the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Florence Obi, for hinting the NYSC about the illegal mobilisations.

“The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar came here to report that she observed some names appeared on the institution’s list and they ought not to have been there. She checked the list the school gave us and I told her that their certificates would be invalidated. I give kudos to the Vice-Chancellor.

“Previously, a bread seller was mobilised on the graduation list from the same institution, there are bad eggs in many places that generate matriculation numbers and courses for their candidates”, the DG said.

He stated further that the Scheme would intensify its collaboration with Heads of Corps Producing Institutions and relevant stakeholders in the country to stop the menace.

Ahmed added that any failure in the mobilisation process from any school falls on the integrity of the management of such an institution, stating, “Those who are responsible for imputing the data of graduates should be people of integrity.”

He called on all employers of labour in the country to verify the authenticity of Certificates of National Service being presented for job placement from the NYSC.

PUNCH