‘He earlier absconded’ – NYSC opens up on Minister Tunji-Ojo’s certificate

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has said that the certificate issued to Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in 2020, which he presented to Senate during ministerial screening is authentic.

An investigation by Premium Times had earlier raised doubts about the certificate presented by Mr Tunji-Ojo, a former two-term member of the House of Representatives.

According to the report, Mr Tunji-Ojo claimed to have completed the one-year National Youth Service between November 2019 and November 2020. However, scrutiny of his certificate revealed it was issued in February and signed by Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, who only became the NYSC Director-General in January—long after the stated completion of the service year.

This discrepancy sparked questions, as the NYSC typically issues certificates immediately after service completion and does not reprint lost or damaged copies.

The online newspaper subsequently wrote to the NYSC management, seeking verification of the certificate’s authenticity. Despite the unresolved concerns, lawmakers confirmed Mr Tunji-Ojo’s ministerial nomination.

In a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, the newspaper also asked the agency to clarify why the certificate bore a February issuance date, more than two years after the nominee was said to have finished his service.
The request sought further details on his NYSC mobilisation, including the organisation where he served, his community development project, the bank through which he received allowances, and whether he participated in both the orientation camp and passing-out parade.

In its reply, the NYSC confirmed that Mr Tunji-Ojo’s certificate was genuine. The agency explained that he was initially mobilised in 2006 but “absconded from the service.” It added that he resurfaced in 2018, was remobilised in 2019, and deployed to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in Garki, Abuja, for his primary assignment.

According to the NYSC, his certificate was not ready when others were issued in 2020. “Duringthe passing out, his Certificate of National Service was not available because it was omitted in the Certificate Printing Application,” the agency stated. “He (Mr Tunji-Ojo) applied for his Certificate of National Service through the State Coordinator FCT on 18th October 2022, and the State Coordinator forwarded the same to the Headquarters and his Certificate of National Service No. A004523631  was produced on 28th February 2023 for collection.”

However, the NYSC’s response left several issues unaddressed.
The agency did not explain how a sitting member of the National Assembly could be mobilised for a full-time service programme or whether Mr Tunji-Ojo received service allowances during that period.

Further clarity is also needed on whether the NYSC Act permits an elected lawmaker—or any serving public official—to undergo the scheme.

These questions, among others, remain unanswered in the NYSC’s response.

(PREMIUM TIMES)