The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) has filed a suit against the Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, and a music promoter, Kenny Ogungbe, for allegedly violating the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Act.
The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeks to sack Musawa from office and nullify the certificates of national service issued to her and Ogungbe by the NYSC.
According to the plaintiff, Musawa and Ogungbe were mobilised for the mandatory one-year national youth service after exceeding 30 years of age, which is contrary to the provisions of the NYSC Act Cap N84.
The group also alleged that Musawa and Ogungbe’s purported national service and the certificates of service purportedly issued by the NYSC were null and void, as they did not meet the eligibility criteria for participation in the scheme.
The plaintiff is seeking a declaration that Musawa and Ogungbe are not entitled to be engaged as employees by any employer of labour or services (including the Federal Government of Nigeria) without first possessing and presenting their certificates of national youth service.
SPIDEL further asked the court to compel the NYSC to withdraw the certificates of national service issued to Musawa and Ogungbe and to publish their names and photographs in national dailies as persons who have violated the NYSC Act.
The suit, which is yet to be assigned to a judge, is one of the many cases filed by NBA-SPIDEL to promote public interest and development law in Nigeria.
