Following a probe by the Senate committee on the authenticity of the appointment of Shuaibu Ibrahim as eighteenth director-general (DG) of the National Youth Service Corps,(NYSC), the committee has confirmed that the appointment followed a due process.
The Nigerian Army had followed due process and laid down rules in the NYSC Act CAP L84 LFN 2004 in the appointment of Shuaibu Ibrahim as the new DG of NYSC, the investigation has revealed.
In May, the army announced Ibrahim as the new NYSC DG after the redeployment of the former DG of the scheme, Maj. Gen. Suleman Kazaure, and eight other generals in a major shake-up.
This development raised concerns in different quarters that the presidency ought to announce the replacement of Kazaure.
Section 5 of the NYSC act stipulates that only the president could make such appointment.
“(I) There shall be for the service corps a Director-General who shall be appointed by the President,” the section reads.
The matter was brought to the attention of the Senate on Tuesday, April 30, by Dino Melaye (Kogi West), stating that the appointment was an ‘infraction’ of existing laws.
He said, “There has been an infraction perpetrated by the Chief of Army staff in appointing a new Director-General for the NYSC. According to Section 5 of the NYSC Act, A Director-General is to be appointed by the President. The Chief of Army Staff through signal removed the DG of NYSC and through signal appointed his replacement.
“The Act gave authority to the President. Previous Directors-General were appointed by the President. We are not in a banana republic. NYSC is not a formation of the Nigerian Army but on the enactment of the National Assembly.”
The report of the Senate committee, as presented by Chairman of the committee, Obinna Ogba, said, that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) was invited to explain the appointment, but was represented by J.A.T Ochegbu, Army’s Acting Secretary, who made written and oral presentations.
Ochegbu in his presentation, explained that three suitable and qualified candidates were nominated for the president to choose from and their nomination was conveyed to the President through the Minister of Defense via a letter dated 13 February 2019, while the minister of defence confirmed to the DG the president’s approval of Ibrahim via a letter dated 18 April 2019.”
He said the committee found out that “the appointment is in accordance with the provisions of NYSC Act” and that “no law was violated as presidential approval was granted before the appointment.”
“The committee hereby recommends that due process was followed in the appointment,” he added.
Senate President Bukola Saraki, in reaction to this, reiterates the senate commitment in its role in ensuring due process.
He said: “That is why we are here, at all times to ensure that the interest of Nigerians and due process is followed.
“If there are many more like this, that affects Nigerians, we must play our roles in ensuring that we bring it to the attention of us here and we do our own work,” Saraki said.