The newly sworn in Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, is still refusing to speak on the allegation that he evaded the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.

Some unnamed members are alleging that the new Speaker evaded the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.
The scheme is mandatory for Nigerian graduates of universities and polytechnics but those who are 30 years or above on completion of their studies are exempted.Also exempted are those who have served in Nigerian military and police.

Section 13 of the NYSC Act (amended in 1993) makes it criminal for anyone to dodge the service, under-declare educational qualifications or work in either public or private sector without undergoing national service.
Some House members, rattled by the way and manner the former Speaker, Mrs. Patricia Etteh, fell from the office, are insisting Bankole dodged the scheme.

The new Speaker will be 38 today.

Going by his CV, Bankole was 26 years old when he started working in 1995 at Freight Agencies, Lagos.
Efforts to get the response of the Speaker to the allegation last night were unsuccessful.

Graduates who have served in the Nigerian military or the police are also exempted.

Responding to the allegation on Wednesday morning Bankole told P.M.News, that he wont speak on the issue for now.

€œI dont want to be distracted in my new responsibility to Nigeria,ÀšÂ he retorted.

He said those who are alleging that he evaded the scheme should go to the NYSC to clarify the issue.

Also speaking with P.M.News this morning on phone, Funke Egbemode, former media assistant to the speaker, said the allegation was a figment of the imagination of those peddling it.

She said detractors should avoid heating up the polity through spurious allegations against public office holders.

Egbemode also said she can confirm that Bankole participated in the scheme.

A member of the House, Hon. Sampson Osagie, who nominated Bankole as speaker before he was eventually elected, said the allegation was the handiwork of the speakers detractors and called on Nigerians to disregard it.

It was reported in some national dailies that the speaker would address a news conference today on the issue.

Meanwhile, the speakers father, Chief Alani Bankole, has started deflecting the darts being shot at his son.

{mosimage}Speaking in Ibadan yesterday, the senior Bankole said the banana peel that usually brought down top political office holders was not for his son.

It has been argued in some quarters that since Bankole served in the British Army and was discharged honourably, €œwhatever allegiance he had to that country subsisted while he was in active service and not after his discharge.

Some members of the House of Representatives who opposed Bankoles emergence as speaker sent SMS (Short Message Service) on their mobile phones to other members of the House not to vote for Bankole because he evaded the NYSC scheme.

Checks at the NYSC secretariat, Abuja did not yield any result at press time.

Bankole represents Abeokuta South Federal Constituency of Ogun State in the House of Representatives.