A Civil Society Organization, CSO, has challenged the acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Joi Nunieh to present her discharge or exemption certificate of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC to the general public if she is not parading a “fake and forged” certificate.

The CSO, Transparency and Integrity Crusaders, also threatened to embark on a nationwide protest to demand for the removal of the NDDC boss whom they alleged is being shielded by “powerful collaborators within the presidency.”

The position of the group is coming just as the NDDC managing director denied owning any forged NYSC discharge or exemption certificate saying, “the onus prove is on those that are alleging to prove their allegation.”

Executive Director of the group, Dr. Ekpo Bassy in a statement, weekend, had questioned the absence of the acting MD during the senate screening of the NDDC board where she was earlier nominated as the Rivers State representative.

He said: “Traditionally, all appointees of critical government institutions are under obligation to submit their certificates to the Police Force Intelligence Bureau as well as the Department for State Security for vetting /confirmation of their authenticity before they are allowed to commence work.

However, the MD had before the exercise, pleaded to be allowed to go home and bring her documents including her NYSC discharge certificate and has failed to provide the items for vetting till date and investigations has revealed that she has been parading a fake/forged NYSC discharge certificate over the years and is now afraid of providing the document now for scrutiny.”

Meanwhile, the NDDC boss while describing the allegations as a ploy to stop the forensic audit of the commission, said, “all these things are about the new direction of the NDDC.”

Special Adviser Communication to the acting MD, Ibanga Isine, said: “If they alleged she forged NYSC discharge or whatever certificate, let them prove it, the onus is on who alleges. Why now that she took over the herculean task of repositioning the NDDC that all these allegations are coming out?

“She has worked with the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP and others where she maintains a firm level of integrity and nobody came up to question her integrity or certificate, why are they doing that now?”

“If they (CSO) allege she forged NYSC discharge or whatever certificate, let them prove it because the onus is on who alleges, besides, why now that she took over the herculean task of repositioning the NDDC that all these allegations are coming out?” He questioned. (Sunday Vanguard)

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