Princess Stella Oduah, a former Minister of Aviation and senator representing Anambra North Senatorial District did not complete the mandatory National Youth Service.
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) stated this in a letter of reply to Concerned Anambra North Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders, which sought to validate Oduah’s claim that she completed her national service.
The NYSC Director-General in a letter signed on his behalf by Eddy Megwa, Director, Press and Public Relations said though Oduah was mobilised for national service in 1982/83 year and was deployed to Lagos State, she absconded after the orientation and never completed the service.
“The consequence of this is that she is not qualified for the issuance of the certificate of national service”, the NYSC letter said.
Oduah had, in 2014, deposed to an affidavit and obtained a police extract where she stated that sometime in 2010 while on transit from Akili in Ogboru Local Government Area to Abuja she discovered that some of her personal belongings were missing, including “National Youth Service Corps Certificate 1983.”
However, the Concerned Anambra North Peoples Democratic Party Stakeholders wrote to the NYSC Director-General to issue them with a certified true copy of the certificate of national service with the Youth Service Corps issued to Stella Adaeze Oduah in 1982/83.
The group had earlier written to the national chairman of the PDP to order Oduah to produce her NYSC certificate or be disqualified from participating in the party’s primary for Anambra North senatorial election.
According to the NYSC Act, the four categories of individuals exempted from the national service are those who graduated above the age of 30, those who have served in the Armed Forces or the Nigeria Police for a period of more than nine months; those who served in intelligence organisations and individuals who bagged national honours before graduation.
A Federal High Court had ruled that possessing an NYSC certificate was not a condition for holding public office.
The senator could however be disqualified for lying under oath that she completed the NYSC scheme.
