March 06, (THEWILL) — Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, is facing mounting pressure from a coalition of civil society organisations demanding an investigation into alleged discrepancies involving his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and Nigerian Law School certificates.
The coalition, led by the Civil Society Groups of Good Governance (CSGGG), on Friday issued a 72-hour ultimatum to Kalu to step aside from office pending investigations into allegations of possible perjury, false representation, and contradictions surrounding his academic and service records.
The groups made the demand during a press briefing in Abuja, questioning the constitutional and legal propriety of Kalu continuing to occupy the second-highest office in the House of Representatives while the issues remain unresolved.
They warned that if the relevant authorities including the NYSC, the Nigerian Law School, the Council of Legal Education, and the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), fail to act within the stipulated period, they would mobilise their members to stage a protest at the National Assembly complex.
Addressing journalists, President of the CSGGG and spokesperson of the coalition, Dominic Ogakwu, said the demand was rooted in the principle of constitutional supremacy and accountability in public office.
“The 1999 Constitution as Amended says in Chapter 1 (1): ‘This Constitution is supreme and its provisions shall have binding force on the authorities and persons throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’” Ogakwu said.
He explained that the coalition seeks to test the constitutional provision that all authorities and persons in the country are subject to the same level of scrutiny and accountability.
Ogakwu stressed that the coalition was non-partisan and motivated solely by the need to ensure transparency and adherence to the rule of law.
“Let me make it clear that we are non-aligned, partisan or otherwise, and our interest in this matter which has been raging for a while without due attention by the relevant authorities — the Nigerian Law School, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), as well as the principal actor in the debacle, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu — should be a source of great worry to all patriotic Nigerians,” he said.
He noted that the coalition was not directly accusing Kalu of committing a crime but was demanding clarity on whether it was possible for the lawmaker to simultaneously undertake the mandatory NYSC service year while attending the Nigerian Law School.
“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 would abide faithfully with the demands of the service year and the rigours of the Law School, still carried out two mutually exclusive functions,” he said.
The coalition noted that under Section 2(3) of the NYSC Act, corps members are required to undertake a continuous one-year national service, raising questions about how Kalu could have simultaneously engaged in full-time academic training at the Nigerian Law School.
According to the group, the Nigerian Law School also maintains strict rules prohibiting students from participating in the NYSC programme during their period of study.
It further alleged that Kalu was admitted into the Nigerian Law School under the name Benjamin Okezie Osisiogu before a series of name changes.
The coalition claimed that on April 23, 2010, Kalu declared that he was not and would not engage in employment or participate in the NYSC during his course of study at the Law School.
It therefore questioned how he was able to obtain an NYSC discharge certificate numbered A001773067, dated March 8, 2011, when he was allegedly attending the Nigerian Law School within the same period.
The group argued that the situation raises two possibilities: either Kalu did not fully participate in the mandatory NYSC service year or he did not properly attend the Nigerian Law School to qualify for enrolment at the Nigerian Bar.
Based on these concerns, the coalition demanded that Kalu temporarily step aside from office pending the outcome of investigations.
“Mr. Kalu occupies too grave an office for any taint to be associated with the occupant,” the group stated.
It also urged the NYSC to clarify Kalu’s service record and confirm whether he actually participated in the compulsory national service programme.
“Did he actually participate in the compulsory national service? If yes, how? If not, how did he come about the discharge certificate he possesses?” Ogakwu queried.
The coalition further called on the Nigerian Law School and the Council of Legal Education to release records showing Kalu’s participation in at least 70 per cent of the academic activities required for qualification.
It added that if the lawmaker breached the oath taken at the Law School, his Call to Bar certificate should be withdrawn in line with the professional standards expected of legal practitioners.
Ogakwu also urged Kalu to demonstrate transparency by providing documentary evidence showing that he did not undertake the two programmes simultaneously.
“And if he did not, he should explain the circumstances surrounding the certificates he possesses,” he added.
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