The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has confirmed the legitimacy of the certificate provided by Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, a ministerial nominee chosen by President Bola Tinubu for the Nigerian Senate. This verification comes despite discrepancies found in Tunji-Ojo’s NYSC certificate by an investigation conducted by Premium Times.
Tunji-Ojo claimed to have served in the NYSC from November 2019 to November 2020. However, his certificate was issued in February and was signed by Yushau Ahmed, who assumed the position of NYSC Director-General in January. This situation raised concerns because NYSC typically issues certificates immediately after the service period and does not reissue them.
In response to these concerns, the Nigerian Senate approved Tunji-Ojo’s ministerial nomination. Seeking clarification, Premium Times submitted a Freedom of Information request to the NYSC. The request questioned the issuance date of Tunji-Ojo’s certificate and the circumstances surrounding his NYSC mobilization while he was serving in the House of Representatives.
The NYSC confirmed that Tunji-Ojo’s certificate is genuine. The organization stated that the nominee was initially mobilized in 2006 but “absconded from the service.” He reappeared in 2018 and was remobilized in 2019, with his primary assignment located at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in Garki, Abuja.
The NYSC explained that Tunji-Ojo’s certificate was omitted when others were printed in 2020. However, he later applied for his Certificate of National Service in October 2022 through the FCT State Coordinator, leading to its issuance in February 2023.