Bayelsa State Deputy Governor’s certificate – DSS confirms alteration

Consequent upon investigations, the Department of State Service (DSS) has stated that it can confirm that there are alterations in the exemption certificate issued by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.

The Head of DSS legal department, Abdulsalam Ibrahim told the state elections tribunal in Abuja that his agency was ordered by an Abuja court to investigate allegations of certificate forgery against the Deputy Governor.

The candidate of the Liberation Movement (LM) in the 2019 Bayelsa State Governorship elections, had petitioned the tribunal alleging that Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo had submitted a forged NYSC exemption certificate and other documents that contain false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The DSS Head of legal Department was at the tribunal to tender documents and testify for the petitioner, following a subpoena issued on the DSS Director General by the tribunal.

Ibrahim said his agency reached out to NYSC, who in turn wrote to the DG of DSS confirming alterations in the surname in the exemption certificate issued to Ewhrudjakpo.

Ibrahim further told the the tribunal that the alteration was made by NYSC at the instance of the Deputy Governor.