By Temitope Oyetomi
The attached certificate allegedly belongs to His Excellency, Peter Obi. I have seen this certificate trending online with many people alleging that it must be a fake certificate just because the disengagement date in it is a 1st of May, which is traditionally a public holiday.
Now, let’s briefly address the issue – without prejudice to political sympathies.
The NYSC scheme runs for a full calendar year. If your engagement date was 2nd May in one year, the date of disengagement will be 1st of May the following year. If your engagement date is 2nd January in one year, your disengagement date would be 1st January the next year. If your engagement date is 16th June in one year, your disengagement date will be 15th June the next year.
Just take the date of your engagement date in one year and look for that same date the next year and subtract one day, it will be your disengagement date.
It doesn’t matter that the disengagement date falls on a public holiday because the disengagement date is a NOTIONAL date. The actual POP would have held about 21 days before that notional date.
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The Government and agencies use several NOTIONAL dates that fall on public holidays. For example, some Promotions or step increments take effect on 1st October or 1st January which are public holidays.
The Professor that supervised your degree in your Alma Mater probably had a promotion on a 1st October or 1st January sometimes along his career progression. The real meeting in which the decision to promote him was taken would have held on an earlier date but the promotion would be “with effect from” a 1st January/October which is a public holiday.
This NYSC date here is a “with effect from” date. The actual passing out ceremony would have held 21 days earlier.
I hope you understand better now.
Have a blessed day.
