The Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law has asked a court to discharge the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, from office for allegedly violating the National Youth Service Corps Act.
It told the court to compel NYSC to nullify the certificates issued to the Minister and music promoter Kenny Ogungbe.
The NBA-SPIDEL made the demand on the basis that the certificate issuance was contrary to the provisions of NYSC Act Cap. N84. LEN 2024.
The plaintiffs, in the suit, marked: FCH/ABJ/05/90/2024, are the Chairman, NBA-SPIDEL, John Aikpokpo-Martins, and Secretary, NBA-SPIDEL, Funmi Adeogun.
The first to fourth defendants in the suit are Musawa, Ogungbe, NYSC and the Federal Government of Nigeria respectively.
According to the plaintiffs, the mobilisation of Musawa and Ogungbe for the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps scheme after exceeding 30 years of age was unlawful, illegal and an affront to patriotism.
They further argued that Musawa’s and Ogungbe’s purported National Service and Certificates of Service purportedly issued by the NYSC were null and void.
The plaintiffs are seeking a declaration that: “By the virtue of the provisions of Sections 2(1), 12(1) and 13(1) of the National Youth Service Corps Act, Cap N84 LFN 2004, the 1st and 2nd defendants are not entitled to be engaged as employees by any employer of labour of services (including the Federal Government of Nigeria) without first possessing and presenting their certificates of National Youth Service.
“A declaration that the 1st defendant is not entitled to continue to hold the exalted office of Honourable Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or any public office in Nigeria after violently violating with flagrant impunity the provisions of Sections 2 (1), 12(1), and 13(1) of the National Youth Service Corps Act, Cap N84 LFN 2004.”
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According to a report by The PUNCH, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria had accused Musawa in August 2023 of serving as a minister while undertaking the one-year mandatory National Youth Service Corps scheme.
Relatedly, in October 2023, there was a stir on social media when Ogungbe shared a photo of himself in the NYSC uniform, announcing that he had finished NYSC at the age of 53.
Efforts to get Musawa, according to The PUNCH, has proved abortive as calls to her number indicated it was not reachable.
