NBA Sues Culture Minister, Kenny Ogungbe, Over NYSC Certificate

• The plaintiffs in the suit are the Chairman, NBA-SPIDEL, John Aikpokpo-Martins, and Secretary, NBA-SPIDEL, Funmi Adeogun.
• The plaintiffs are seeking a declaration that they 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.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has been asked to remove the Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy from office due to alleged violations of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Act by the Nigerian Bar Association’s (NBA) Section on Public Interest and Development Law.

Additionally, the group requested that the NYSC compel the organisation to revoke the certifications that were granted to Musawa and music promoter Kenny Ogungbe, claiming that the granting of the certificates was against the terms of the NYSC Act Cap N84.

The plaintiffs in this lawsuit are Funmi Adeogun, the secretary of NBA-SPIDEL, and John Aikpokpo-Martins, the chairman.

The plaintiffs alleged that the mobilisation of Musawa and Ogungbe for the mandatory one-year national youth service after exceeding 30 years of age was unlawful, illegal, and an affront to patriotism.

They also alleged that Musawa and Ogungbe’s purported national service and the certificates of service purportedly issued by the NYSC were null and void.

The plaintiffs are seeking a declaration that they 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.

They also want 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.”