Attention Director-General NYSC

SIR: I am compelled to use this medium to draw your attention once again to my predicament which is the non-issuance of my NYSC discharge certificate since 1983.

I did my NYSC service as a Foreign Corps Member from December 1982 – December 1983 as a German Language Teacher at the Department of Foreign Languages, University of Benin (in the then Bendel State). I was retained by the same university, and sent on training leave in April 1988. Repeated calls at the NYSC secretariat in Benin City did not yield fruit as I was told on each occasion that it was not ready, until I travelled out of the country.

The importance of NYSC discharge under our Federal Laws cannot be over-emphasised. Therefore, upon my return to Nigeria in January 2013, I have made all efforts humanly possible to have my discharge certificate issued to me. Regrettably, my efforts have not paid off despite physical visits and written communications with the National Headquarters of the NYSC. I have even gone to the extent of providing the national secretariat with my NYSC letter of reference number issued upon my discharge. I have become the object of bureaucratic repression at the NYSC Secretariat through incessant spawning of unwarranted hurdles.

My prayers are that you should kindly use your good offices to cause my discharge certificate to be issued to me without further delay. For ease of reference, my Letter of Reference No. is C/NYSC.105/Vol. IV and was issued on November 28, 1983 (Stephania Ategbe Evboikuokha).

I trust in your high sense of responsibility.

• Stephania Alofuokhai-Ghogomu (formerly Evboikuokha), e-mail: ategbe@gmail.com.