Nigerian Bar Association Urges Court to Sack Minister Over Alleged NYSC Violation

 

The Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law is urging the court to remove the Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, from office, alleging a violation of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Act.

The organization also seeks a court order to invalidate the certificates issued to Musawa and music promoter Kenny Ogungbe by the NYSC, claiming that the issuance of the certificates goes against the provisions of the NYSC Act Cap N84.LFN 2024.

The plaintiffs in the suit, marked FCH/ABJ/05/90/2024, are John Aikpokpo-Martins, Chairman of NBA-SPIDEL, and Funmi Adeogun, Secretary of NBA-SPIDEL. Musawa, Ogungbe, NYSC, and the Federal Government of Nigeria are the first to fourth defendants in the suit.

The plaintiffs allege that the mobilization of Musawa and Ogungbe for the mandatory one-year national youth service after exceeding 30 years of age is unlawful, illegal, and unpatriotic.

They also claim that Musawa and Ogungbe's purported national service and the certificates of service issued by the NYSC are null and void.

The plaintiffs seek a declaration that, "By 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 labor or 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.”

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria had previously accused Musawa in August 2023 of serving as a minister while undertaking the one-year mandatory National Youth Service Corps scheme. In October 2023, music promoter Ogungbe stirred social media when he shared a photo of himself in the NYSC uniform, announcing that he had completed NYSC at the age of 53.

Efforts to reach Musawa were unsuccessful, and responses to messages sent to her were pending at the time of filing this report.