The Federal Government has dragged the senator representing Anambra North Senatorial district in the 10th Assembly, Stella Oduah before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja for lying that she lost her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate, amongst other allegations.
Truth Live News recalls that Oduah has been in the spotlight for the wrong reason following the controversy surrounding alleged falsification of documents claiming she completed the mandatory one-year programme.
The charge was said to have been filed on June 26, 2023, according to court documents obtained by Channels TV on Monday.
One of the counts reads in part: “That you SENATOR STELLA ODUAH AND D.A.O OSHINOWO (at large) sometime in the year, 2017, at Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did conspires amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: make a document titled ‘Re: Request for National Youth Service Confirmation Which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 3(6) of the miscellaneous offences Act CAF M17 of the revised edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) 2007 and Punishable under section 3 (1) (c) of the same Act.”
In another count, the Federal Government accused the Anambra North Senator, “that you SENATOR STELLA ODUAH sometime in the year, 2011 at Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did forward your credential to Federal Government of Nigeria among which is an affidavit and Extract from police Crime Diary, that you lost your National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Certificate the representation you know to be false which led to your nomination as a cabinet Minister and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 39 (2) (a) and punishable under Section 39(2)(b) of the same Act.
Also, one of the other counts reads, “That you SENATOR STELLA ODUAH sometime in the year, 2011 at Federal Capital Territory, Abuja ithin the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did forward your credential to Federal Government of Nigeria among which is an affidavit and Extract from police Crime Diary, that you lost your National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Certificate the representation you know to be false which led to your nomination as a cabinet Minister and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 157 of the Penal Code Act and punishable under Section 158 (1) of the same Act.”
Earlier, a senatorial aspirant in Anambra, Mr John Emeka, sued Oduah at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order invalidating her nomination as a Senatorial Candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party in Anambra State.
In the originating summons, Emeka prayed the court to declare that the information supplied by Oduah in her INEC Form CF001, with respect to her participation in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, was false.
He accused the former of minister lying under oath in both her expression of interest and nomination forms, including in the INEC Form CF001 which she submitted to the commission for the 2023 Anambra North Senatorial District seat.
According to the aspirant , she had under oath, used the same information to participate in the previous elections as the PDP’s candidate for the 2015 and 2019 Anambra North Senatorial District polls.
He added that the act contravened Sections 12(1)(a)(b)(c) and 13(1)(a) of the NYSC Act.
Furthermore, he prayed the court to declare that by reason of the false information given in her INEC Form CF 001 in respect of her participation in the NYSC Scheme, she was not qualified to have contested in the said elections and or any other election into the Nigerian Senate. as llj