Stella Oduah Reacts To NYSC Saga

The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC has declared the Anambra North Senator abandoned the service year upon the completion of the orientation exercise.

In a letter by the Director-General of the NYSC which was signed on his behalf by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, the agency said Oduah commenced her NYSC programme in 1982 but absconded.

The scheme's declaration comes as a reply to the request by the Concerned Anambra North Peoples Democratic Party Stakeholders, seeking to validate the claim by the Senator that she lost her NYSC certificate.

This development serves as a follow of the 2014 incident where the Red Chamber member had claimed she discovered some of her valuables and personal belongings were missing while in transit from Akili in Ogboru LGA, Anambra State to Abuja.

Reacting, the deposed minister has shared a photo of her in NYSC uniform and a letter from NECA confirming that she indeed obeyed and stayed true to the clarion call.

Her media aide Ezennia Nonso Chukwudebe, in a statement insisted the lawmaker "served meritoriously at NECA in 1982 as can be confirmed from this 11th January, 2017 clarification from the Nigeria Employers' Consultative Association personally signed by the Director General, O.A Oshinowo.''

Accusing her contenders of "resorting to circulating a story which is completely at variance with the position of the agency where she did her primary assignment", Oduah stated she will be giving "NYSC sometime to put out a disclaimer as we firmly believe this letter to be fake."

The statement read;

*RE: THE VIRAL STORY OF THE ALLEGED SENATOR STELLA ODUAH NYSC ABSCONDMENT.*

Our attention has just been drawn to a publication that makes a most spurious claim to the effect that the Distinguished Senator representing Anambra North, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah OON, absconded from the National Youth Service Corps program.

Ordinarily we would never dignify such antics with a response but we deemed it necessary to put out this statement for the benefit of gullible minds that are being targeted by political jobbers whose stock in trade is churning out such concocted rubbish every election cycle, especially when it is becoming glaring that they are receiving the short end of the political stick.

The Distinguished Senator indeed served meritoriously at NECA in 1982 as can be confirmed from this 11th January, 2017 clarification from the Nigeria Employers' Consultative Association personally signed by the Director General, O.A Oshinowo.

How her opponents have suddenly resorted to circulating this story which is completely at variance with the position of the agency where she did her primary assignment, is an issue every keen mind should focus on and we are by this publication, giving the NYSC sometime to put out a disclaimer as we firmly believe this letter to be fake.

Unfortunately we live in climes where such unsubstantiated stories travel fast and it is more worrisome that some mainstream media outlets appear to be sucked into this viral vortex of deceit.

Senator Stella Oduah did not only serve meritoriously but would go on to work in the NNPC, a Federal Government establishment, for the next nine years!

Nigerians need to understand that the persons behind the fake letter currently doing the rounds are desperate, despondent and out of their wits end for they instinctively appreciate the fact that the Distinguished Senator is one leader that continues to be appreciated and loved for her many people oriented programs and no amount of sponsored media mudslinging can obliterate this fact.

This is election season and it is expected to see such antics by weak traducers whose understanding of politicking is engaging in mindless subterfuge against aspirants rightly perceived as strong.

Unfortunately for them, they are deploying the same failed strategy that has never managed to stop the Distinguished Senator at the polls and one would expect that they'd restrategize.

Senator Stella Oduah remains strong, in very high spirits and is looking forward to the election proper.