A civil society group, the Niger Delta Think Tank on Good Governance, has called on President Bola Tinubu to institute an independent and transparent investigation into issues surrounding the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC records of the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
The group, led by its Convener, Ambassador Gregory Oritsetimihin, made the call on Monday during a press conference, citing official correspondence between Premium Times and the NYSC obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.
Addressing journalists, Oritsetimihin said the demand was not intended to indict the minister but to promote accountability, due process and public confidence in Nigeria’s institutions.
According to the group, an official response issued by the NYSC on August 8, 2023, indicated that Dr. Tunji-Ojo was mobilised for national service in 2006 but absconded from the programme. The response further stated that he later resurfaced in 2019, when he was re-mobilised and redeployed to the Federal Capital Territory, with his Certificate of National Service eventually issued in February 2023.
“These facts were not drawn from speculation or social media narratives but were provided directly by the NYSC itself,” the group said.
The think tank noted that universities are responsible for the mobilisation of graduates, while matters relating to deployment, redeployment and certification fall within the institutional responsibility of the NYSC, stressing that such issues require objective and transparent review.
It described absconding from the NYSC scheme as a violation of existing laws and civic obligations, warning that unresolved questions surrounding the programme, particularly involving a serving public official, could undermine public trust and reinforce perceptions of selective accountability.
While urging calm, the group appealed to President Tinubu to demonstrate leadership by constituting an independent panel to review the matter and make its findings public.
It also recommended that the Interior Minister be relieved of his duties pending the outcome of the investigation, describing the move as an administrative safeguard rather than a punitive action.
According to the group, a transparent review would help protect the integrity of the Presidency, uphold the credibility of the NYSC and safeguard the reputation of the minister.
“Accountability is not persecution, and inquiry is not condemnation,” the think tank said, adding that Nigeria’s democracy is strengthened when concerns are addressed openly and in line with due process.
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