The Department of State Service (DSS) confirmed on Monday that
its investigation revealed alteration in the exemption certificate
issued by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to the Deputy
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Oborawharievwo
Ewhrudjakpo.
The Head, Legal Department, DSS, Abdulsalam Ibrahim, who
represented DSS’ Director-General, told the Bayelsa State
Governorship Election Tribunal in Abuja that his agency was ordered
by an Abuja court to investigate allegation of certificate forgery
against Ewhrudjakpo.
Ibrahim was at the tribunal to tender documents and testify for
the petitioner upon a subpoena issued on the DG, DSS by the
tribunal.
The candidate of the Liberation Movement (LM) in the November
16, 2019 governorship election in Bayelsa, Vijah Opuama had
petitioned the tribunal, alleging that Ewhrudjakpo submitted forged
exemption certificate and documents that contain false information
to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the
election.
Ibrahim, led in evidence by petitioner’s lawyer, Pius Danbe
Pius, said: “My lord, on the 22nd of February 2020, we received a
letter from an Area Court in Lugbe, Abuja asking the DSS to
investigate the NYSC exemption certificate of Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo,
the present Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State.”
He said his agency conducted investigation by reaching out to
the NYSC. He said the DG, NYSC wrote to the DG, DSS confirming
alteration in the surname in the exemption certificate issued
Ewhrudjakpo.
Ibrahim however told the tribunal that the alteration was done
by the NYSC at the instance of Ewhrudjakpo.
The petitioner’s lawyer later tendered a copy of the subpoena, a
copy of the letter from the Area Court and two investigation
reports dated May 27 and 28, 2020, including an annexture from the
NYSC, through the witness.
Respondents’ lawyers, including Ibrahim Bawa (SAN), Chris Uche
(SAN) and Chukwuma Machwkwu Umeh did not object to the tendering of
the documents, following which the tribunal admitted them and
marked them Exhibits P1, P2, P3 and P4.
Upon a request by Pius, Ibrahim read the conclusion of the
report of the investigation conducted by his agency, which the
tribunal had admitted in evidence.
The conclusion of the report, as read out by Ibrahim, went thus:
“Based on the foregoing and the relevant documents forwarded to
this service, it is evident that the subject altered the spelling
of his surname to reflect the letter D as against the letter O in
the certificate of exception earlier issued by NYSC.”
Under cross-examination by lawyer to the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), Emmanuel Enoidem, Ibrahim confirmed that the
alteration in the certificate was effected by the NYSC.
The witness agreed with Enoidem that it is the bearer of a name
that knows how best to spell his/her name.
Under cross-exemination by Chris Uche (SAN), lawyer to Duoye Diri
(the Bayelsa State Governor), the witness said the alteration was
done by the NYSC upon the request by Ewhrudjakpo.
Uche later asked the witness to read paragraph 7 of a document
marked “P3” (one of the reports the investigation by the DSS),
which Ibrahim read,thus: “it is based on this recent finding, that
we wish to bring to the notice of the DSS that we (the NYSC)
corrected the certificate of exemption to read Ewhrudjakpo. Only
the last letter A was corrected to read letter O.”
When asked to identify an attachment to the report, the witness
identified it as “Annexture 2,” which he explained “is a letter to
the NYSC seeking a request for correction, following which the
correction was now made.”
At the conclusion of the witness’ testimony, Pius said his next
witness is Ewhrudjakpo, who he said has been subpoenaed to produce
the original copy of the certificate of exemption.
Pius said, by his case plan, the Deputy Governor was the next
appropriate witness for the petitioner.
The tribunal’s Chairman, Justice Ibrahim Sirajo adjourned till
Tuesday (June 2) for the hearing of a motion by Ewhrudjakpo,
challenging his invitation as the petitioner’s witness.
Earlier the tribunal in a ruling, rejected an application by LM
to be made a party in the case.
Justice Sirajo upheld the arguments of the respondents, to the
effect that the party failed to justify why it filed the
application late.
Justice Sirajo held that there was no exceptional circumstances
to warrant the granting of the applicant’s request to have its
application heard outside the tribunal’s pre-hearing session.
He noted that the time for the hearing of such application has
elapsed, with the applicant not being able to justify why it
delayed in seeking to be made a party in a petition filed by its
candidate.
The Department of State Service (DSS) confirmed on Monday that
its investigation revealed alteration in the exemption certificate
issued by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to the Deputy
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Oborawharievwo
Ewhrudjakpo.
The Head, Legal Department, DSS, Abdulsalam Ibrahim, who
represented DSS’ Director-General, told the Bayelsa State
Governorship Election Tribunal in Abuja that his agency was ordered
by an Abuja court to investigate allegation of certificate forgery
against Ewhrudjakpo.
Ibrahim was at the tribunal to tender documents and testify for
the petitioner upon a subpoena issued on the DG, DSS by the
tribunal.
The candidate of the Liberation Movement (LM) in the November
16, 2019 governorship election in Bayelsa, Vijah Opuama had
petitioned the tribunal, alleging that Ewhrudjakpo submitted forged
exemption certificate and documents that contain false information
to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the
election.
Ibrahim, led in evidence by petitioner’s lawyer, Pius Danbe
Pius, said: “My lord, on the 22nd of February 2020, we received a
letter from an Area Court in Lugbe, Abuja asking the DSS to
investigate the NYSC exemption certificate of Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo,
the present Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State.”
He said his agency conducted investigation by reaching out to
the NYSC. He said the DG, NYSC wrote to the DG, DSS confirming
alteration in the surname in the exemption certificate issued
Ewhrudjakpo.
Ibrahim however told the tribunal that the alteration was done
by the NYSC at the instance of Ewhrudjakpo.
The petitioner’s lawyer later tendered a copy of the subpoena, a
copy of the letter from the Area Court and two investigation
reports dated May 27 and 28, 2020, including an annexture from the
NYSC, through the witness.
Respondents’ lawyers, including Ibrahim Bawa (SAN), Chris Uche
(SAN) and Chukwuma Machwkwu Umeh did not object to the tendering of
the documents, following which the tribunal admitted them and
marked them Exhibits P1, P2, P3 and P4.
Upon a request by Pius, Ibrahim read the conclusion of the
report of the investigation conducted by his agency, which the
tribunal had admitted in evidence.
The conclusion of the report, as read out by Ibrahim, went thus:
“Based on the foregoing and the relevant documents forwarded to
this service, it is evident that the subject altered the spelling
of his surname to reflect the letter D as against the letter O in
the certificate of exception earlier issued by NYSC.”
Under cross-examination by lawyer to the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), Emmanuel Enoidem, Ibrahim confirmed that the
alteration in the certificate was effected by the NYSC.
The witness agreed with Enoidem that it is the bearer of a name
that knows how best to spell his/her name.
Under cross-exemination by Chris Uche (SAN), lawyer to Duoye Diri
(the Bayelsa State Governor), the witness said the alteration was
done by the NYSC upon the request by Ewhrudjakpo.
Uche later asked the witness to read paragraph 7 of a document
marked “P3” (one of the reports the investigation by the DSS),
which Ibrahim read,thus: “it is based on this recent finding, that
we wish to bring to the notice of the DSS that we (the NYSC)
corrected the certificate of exemption to read Ewhrudjakpo. Only
the last letter A was corrected to read letter O.”
When asked to identify an attachment to the report, the witness
identified it as “Annexture 2,” which he explained “is a letter to
the NYSC seeking a request for correction, following which the
correction was now made.”
At the conclusion of the witness’ testimony, Pius said his next
witness is Ewhrudjakpo, who he said has been subpoenaed to produce
the original copy of the certificate of exemption.
Pius said, by his case plan, the Deputy Governor was the next
appropriate witness for the petitioner.
The tribunal’s Chairman, Justice Ibrahim Sirajo adjourned till
Tuesday (June 2) for the hearing of a motion by Ewhrudjakpo,
challenging his invitation as the petitioner’s witness.
Earlier the tribunal in a ruling, rejected an application by LM
to be made a party in the case.
Justice Sirajo upheld the arguments of the respondents, to the
effect that the party failed to justify why it filed the
application late.
Justice Sirajo held that there was no exceptional circumstances
to warrant the granting of the applicant’s request to have its
application heard outside the tribunal’s pre-hearing session.
He noted that the time for the hearing of such application has
elapsed, with the applicant not being able to justify why it
delayed in seeking to be made a party in a petition filed by its
candidate.