UNICAL uncovered, reported 178 fake corpers to NYSC — Management

The University of Calabar (UNICAL) has disclosed that it was its management that discovered and reported the 178 fake corps members to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and not the other way around as portrayed in some quarters.

The institution stated this in a release issued by the Registrar of the University, Mr. Gabriel Egbe.

The university, however, commended the NYSC for releasing the names of 93 unqualified persons who were fraudulently mobilised for the one-year scheme following a complaint lodged by the university in 2023.

The statement read, “It should be noted that it was the university management that exposed the criminal act and brought it to the attention of NYSC and other organisations, and not the other way around.

“We consider the action taken by NYSC to be a helpful step towards dealing a crushing blow to criminal impunity and desperation. While commending the Corps for this move, it is necessary to let the public know the facts about the whole uncanny story of the infiltration of our university portal with unqualified names for exemption from, and participation in, national service.”

According to the Registrar, in September 2023, internal sources brought to the attention of management that a certain individual who had not graduated was on national service purportedly from the institution, which led to an investigation that confirmed the allegation and revealed 10 more cases of infiltration of the NYSC portal.

“Arising from this report, we wrote on October 4, 2023, to NYSC appealing that those 11 persons involved be apprehended and prosecuted. On October 24, NYSC responded in line with our resolve to launch a full-scale investigation into the issue.

“On October 31, the University wrote to the ICPC Uyo Resident Office, inviting the agency to wade into the matter.

“Though management had agreed to work quietly with NYSC and security agencies to apprehend the culprits, we had to set up a full-scale investigative committee due to unfolding events. The committee concluded its work on December 18, 2023. Meanwhile, NYSC was notified on November 5 of the committee.

“The investigation revealed a staggering 167 new cases of criminal infiltration of the portal, making a total of 178 persons.”

The statement further read, “We wish to state, as contained in the report, that the names involved were definitely not found in the records of the university as having graduated. The records include Senate Approved Results (SAR), summary lists (for printing of certificates), and master lists (in NYSC format for upload), all presented by respective departments.

“Categorically, the names were not presented by the departments and were not uploaded on the portal, hence they are not found in the hard copies printed from that portal and presented to NYSC in pre-mobilization workshops.

“In other words, these unqualified people were not mobilised by the university, as a matter of fact, but were somehow smuggled into the portal, from where we do not know. Not having these names in our graduation or mobilisation list clearly means that their certificates purportedly from our university are also fake.”

The institution explained that following the investigation, the Data Entry Officer, Mr. Obi Endurance, who is currently under investigation by the ICPC, has been suspended by the institution.

“The release by the Corps is sequel to the above developments. Mentioning the University of Calabar in this saga does not, and should not, in any way diminish the phenomenal achievements already recorded by the present university administration in an all-around repositioning for efficiency,” the statement partly read.