The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the 14th Governing Council of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), DIG Udom Ekpoudom, has accused certain officials within the university of being complicit in the large-scale certificate fraud recently exposed by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Recall that NYSC Invalidates Certificates of 101 Fraudulently Mobilized Individuals who had previously been mobilized for national service. These certificates were fraudulently issued by UNICAL during the service years of 2021, 2022, and 2023.
According to the NYSC Director of Information and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, 99 of these individuals were illegally mobilized for national service, while two others received exemption certificates under false pretenses. Megwa emphasized that this action is part of a broader effort to cleanse the system and uphold the integrity of the NYSC scheme.
In a statement responding to the discovery, Ekpoudom expressed deep concern and revealed that an investigation is underway to identify those responsible. He insisted that the individuals involved in the fraud were not legitimate students of UNICAL and vowed that any university officials found to be involved would face severe consequences.
“The NYSC has done an excellent job in uncovering this forgery. This is just the beginning; our next step is to identify those behind this scandal,” Ekpoudom stated.
“I can assure you that these individuals are not students of UNICAL. They are criminals, and we will ensure they are held accountable.”