BTO: Defamatory allegation may land faultfinders in jail, Taiwo Gbamila warns self-proclaimed journalists over false accusation of NYSC certificate forgery

BTO: Defamatory allegation may land faultfinders in jail, Taiwo Gbamila warns self-proclaimed journalists over false accusation of NYSC certificate forgery

_…see how investigative journalism reveals the true story of Bunmi Tunji-Ojo’s NYSC certificate_

Publisher Coastal Renaissance News and Publisher Golden Rule Magazine, Taiwo Gbamila, has warned self-proclaimed journalists and faultfinders looking for cheap recognition to refrain from defamatory allegation which may land them in jail and cause them huge amount of damages fine, stressed that false accusation of NYSC certificate forgery levelled against Hon. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo is not only defamatory but also libelous.

Taiwo Gbamila while warning the self-proclaimed journalists on social media, informed them the implications of defamatory allegation and consequences of false accusation. He said, “defamation is the act of harming a person’s reputation through the use of words and is broken into two categories. When defaming words are in writing this is known as libel; if the words are spoken, this type of defamation is called slander. No matter which format the words take, the case itself can be categorized broadly as defamation”.

“Defamation lawsuits qualify as personal injury cases because the effects can have a long-lasting impact on the defamed person’s finances, opportunities and even emotional and physical wellbeing. It can be difficult to navigate the line between what is an individual’s right to free speech, and protecting others from defamation. Therefore, some elements must be proven in order to establish defamation and attempt to recover damages or other recompense from the party who published or spoke the harmful words”.

Following the outcome of the investigation being carried out by one Ayodeji Ologun of the Coalition of Civil Society Groups, it appeared to me that all the faultfinders alleging Hon. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo of NYSC certificate forgery are either close to prison or prison yard.

Without mincing words, the investigative journalism of Mr. Ayodeji Ologun of the Coalition of Civil Society Groups, has revealed the true story of Hon. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo’s NYSC certificate.

The man had painstakingly and thoroughly carried out investigations on the matter while others were alleging wrongfully.

Mr. Ologun while conducting investigations so surrounding the discrepancy of NYSC certificate of BTO, personally wrote to the offices of the NYCS, ICPC and the National Assembly where the following discoveries were made.

1. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo was a student at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State and left in his part three. He didn’t graduate from there and travelled abroad.

2. He was a student at the London Metropolitan University and graduated from there and returned to the country for NYSC mobilization.

3. He was mobilised with the batch B of 2006 for youth service and he was in the NYSC camp in Kubwa, Abuja where he participated in the activities of the camp for three weeks he was on camp. At camp, he was appointed the captain of football team of his platoon.

4. Returning to Abuja from home in Ondo State after the three weeks camp, he was involved in a terrible road accident where only him and one other survived the incident.

5. He received treatment at Monak and Shekinah hospitals in Akure (anyone can verify his medical records from these hospital as we did) from where he was flown abroad for treatment and hence did not complete his NYSC mandatory service year.

6. In 2018, he wrote to the NYSC to the effect of his non completion of his service year though he received two months allowance while on the hospital bed from the Federal Government and sought clarification on what to do.

7. NYSC wrote to him to refund the money he received without work and then re apply for RE MOBILISATION.

8. He did refund the money to NYSC through a Zenith bank teller sighted and then re applied for Re Mobilisation.

9. In 2019 when he was already a member of the National Assembly, he wrote to the clerk of the National Assembly then to seek clarifications and he was responded to that in 1985 when the NYSC law was made, it was a decree and not captured in the law then that National Assembly members are exempted from youth service and hence can serve. (copies of the correspondences were sighted)

10. In 2020, while serving in the National Assembly, he was remobilised but that was the year of Covid where clearance was done personally by him for nine months out of the 11 months required. He missed two of such clearances by the virtue of committee engagement in the house of representatives.

11. He failed to collect his certificate and applied for same in 2022 for which he was told that his certificate was not printed alongside his mates because he was not in camp where his biometric should have been taken hence his not been captured for certificate printing and had to again apply for biometrics to be taken since everything is now digital and portal based.

12. He applied and his biometrics was captured hence the printing of his certificate as dated in February 2023 which he personally received from the NYSC headquarters and signed for.

This much were findings made and anyone can stand up to it as we have done.

The FOI bill enables anyone to request these facts from the NYSC.

These were made in good faith and for the purpose of clarity and records.

“No doubt, BTO has qualified himself well for this calling…” Taiwo Gbamila said.