By News Agency
The Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) has dismissed a staffer, Garba Ahmed, after it found he engaged in illegal upload of unqualified students for the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
In a statement by its spokesperson, Ismaila Yauri, the university said the decision was ratified on Wednesday during the university governing council’s 176th meeting.
The statement said his dismissal takes effect from 1 April, the date of the council meeting.
“Malam Garba was found guilty of illegally uploading unqualified students for NYSC mobilisation,” the statement said.
“The University Governing Council maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward acts of serious or gross misconduct.”
Mr Ahmed had worked in the university’s registry department, where he had access to the list of graduates being mobilised for the NYSC.
Universities mobilised graduates who have met all requirements, including clearing their results and paying all fees. The results are validated by the university senate before onward transfer of the list to the registry, where Mr Ahmed worked.
NYSC withdrew illegally mobilised graduates
Two years ago, the management of the NYSC withdrew over 100 NYSC certificates after it found they had been fraudulently mobilised by the University of Calabar, Cross River State.
The university later told PREMIUM TIMES that it uncovered the fraud and notified the management of the NYSC, which withdrew the certificates.
According to the NYSC, 99 of them were illegally mobilised for the national service between 2021 and 2023, while the remaining two received exemption certificates.
The one-year national service is compulsory for Nigerian graduates who are 30 years old or below when completing their academic programmes. Those over 30 are issued exemption certificates.
NERD to the rescue
However, the Nigerian government has introduced the National Credential Verification Service (NCVS) to verify and authenticate academic certificates for Nigerian graduates.
The NCVS issued by the Nigerian Education Repository and Databank (NERD) is now a compulsory certificate before anyone can be mobilised for the NYSC.
