NYSC Cleared Kalu, Igbo Youth Group Insists

The Union of Igbo Youths (UIY) has defended the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, describing allegations against him by the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) over his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate and Nigerian Law School records as fabricated and politically motivated.

In a statement signed by its National President, Dr. Nicholas Nwigwe, and Vice President, Dr. Ada Stella Okoronkwo, stated that the group was issuing a “warning” against attempts to undermine emerging political leaders from the South-East through what it described as sponsored campaigns.

Central to the group’s defence is the outcome of a 2023 verification exercise conducted by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). According to the UIY, the agency carried out an independent investigation into questions surrounding Kalu’s certificate and subsequently issued a verification letter confirming that it was duly obtained in compliance with the NYSC Act.

The group said a senior NYSC official who participated in the verification exercise had also publicly reaffirmed the authenticity of the certificate.

It challenged COSEYL to provide documentary evidence to support its claims, including any counter-verification from the NYSC or a formal communication from the agency’s leadership disputing the earlier findings.

“If such evidence cannot be produced — and we are convinced it cannot — then COSEYL has effectively defamed a serving constitutional officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the statement said.

The group also dismissed reports that a petition could be filed against the deputy speaker before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) over his Nigerian Law School records.

According to the union, the LPDC is a respected regulatory institution that should not be used as a platform for political harassment, adding that Kalu’s records had already been verified.

The UIY further questioned the motives behind the allegations, asking COSEYL to disclose the source of its claims and the identity of those allegedly sponsoring the campaign.

It also raised concerns over reports of protest activities targeting the deputy speaker, urging relevant authorities to investigate their funding sources.

The group suggested that the allegations may be linked to political rivalry in Abia State, noting that Kalu has not formally declared any intention to contest the state’s governorship.

“They are not fighting a declared candidate; they are fighting a potential,” the statement added, claiming that Kalu’s rising political profile and advocacy for the South-East may have unsettled certain interests.

The union called on Igbo youth groups, traditional institutions and the media to demand credible evidence from COSEYL and reject what it described as attempts to tarnish the reputation of the deputy speaker.