The Civil Society Groups of Good Governance (CSGGG) has called on the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ben Kalu to step aside to allow investigation into the alleged perjury and false representation levelled against him.
The group challenged the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to come clean on Kalu’s service year record to ascertain whether he participated in the compulsory national service or not.
The group also challenged Kalu to demonstrate the moral high ground by showing proof that he didn’t combine both programs simultaneously.
The President of the group, Dominic Ogakwu made the call while addressing a press conference on Friday in Abuja.
TheHintsNews reports that a group, Youth Renaissance for Good Governance has rejected the allegations levelled against his NYSC certificate and Nigerian Law School records.
It alleged that the issue was a political desperation emanating from certain quarters in Abia State.
However, Ogakwu maintained that they were out to demand the truth, and to test the constitutional provision that all authorities and persons in the country are indeed held to the same scrutiny and accountability without prejudice to Chapter 1:1 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
He stated: “We do not impute any crime, yet, rather we demand clarity as to the possibility of Rt. Hon. Kalu, after swearing two oaths, one with the NYSC and the other with the Nigerian Law School that he will abide faithfully and wholly with the demands of the Service Year and the rigours of the Law School still carry out two functions which are mutually exclusive and not be held for perjury and for violating the rules and regulations of NYSC and the Nigerian Law School. We shall return to the matter presently.
“Hon. Kalu swore on oath as required by the NYSC Act Section 2(3) that he will engage in a continuous one-year national service. We therefore wonder how “statutorily possible” it was for him to engage in any lawful endeavor such as the Law School and partake in full-time academic training at the same time. Fishy!”
Ogakwu said it was instructive to note that under the Nigerian Law School Policy, a very strict policy at that, students are prohibited from serving as corps members during their period of study.
He added: “You may wish to note that our Dear Deputy Speaker, was admitted into the Nigerian Law School under the name Benjamin Okezie Osisiogu before effecting a change of name, three times actually has he changed his name, solemnly declared on April 23, 2010 that he was not and would not engage in employment or participate in the NYSC during his course of study.”
The group stressed that if Kalu swore on oath twice, the germane question is: “How did he come by his NYSC Discharge Certificate No. A001773067 allegedly issued on March 8, 2011 and at the same time of March 9, 2010 to March 8, 2011 when he was supposedly at the Law School?”
“Only one of two scenarios can apply: either he did not participate fully in the NYSC Service Year, or he never attended the Nigerian Law School to qualify him to be enrolled into the Bar. It is this reason we demand for clarity and accountability from Kalu himself, the NYSC and the Nigerian Law School and Council of Legal Education.
“It is a trite matter that no individual is bigger or more important than the laws of our country, especially the Constitution. For too long have we allowed people with tainted records to occupy high and important offices.”
Ogakwu recalled that ministers have been forced to resign, judges have been sanctioned and sent packing over their indiscretions and abuse of records, while professors have been dismissed from their posts for falsifying records and engaging in plagiarism.
The group demanded: “Let Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu step aside pending the determination of these allegations. He occupies too grave an office for any taint to be associated with the occupant.
“Nigeria is an important country not just on the continent but across the world and should not have individuals with any semblance of questionable characters occupying such an office.
“Let the NYSC come clean on Mr. Kalu’s Service Year record. Did he actually participate in the compulsory national service? If yes, how? If not, how did he come about the discharge certificate he possesses?
“The Nigerian Law School and Council of Legal Education should avail the public of their records showing the full participation of Mr. Kalu in over 70 per cent of activities as required by its rules.
“And if in breach of the oath, his Call to Bar Certificate should be withdrawn forthwith as it falls short of the high demands of probity, truthfulness and fidelity to the law as expected of law practitioners.”