By Deborah Onyofufeke
A concerned citizen of the Federal republic of Nigeria has dragged the Federal government before a federal high court sitting in Abuja, demanding that the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corp be scrapped because of the insecurity situation in the country

The plaintiff in the suit stated that the Federation pursuant to Sections 9 and 13 of the National Youths Service Corps Act, 1993, is a breach of right of every Nigerian Youth to security of life and dignity as guaranteed by Sections 33 and 34 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.

In the suit number marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1185/2022, filed by Okomayin Dennis Ude, the director general, NYSC, the Attorney General of the federation,(AGF) the President, Federal Republic Of Nigeria, the National Assembly and the minister, federal ministry of finance, were all listed as defendants in the suit.

Ude had dragged all defendants in the suit to court over the continuous existence of National Youth Service Corps scheme.

The NYSC scheme was introduced in 1973 by the administration of General Yakubu Gowon during his rule as Head of State.

The scheme mandates every Nigerian graduate to serve her country for a period of one year before seeking paid employment after graduation.

The plaintiff, in the suit filed through his lawyer, Chief Ademuyiwa Adeniyi, SAN, prayed the court for an order, that the continued sustenance of National Youth Service Corps Act of 1993 and the mandatory posting of innocent Nigerian Youths to insurgency and banditry ravaged or prone states or areas of the country be stopped

In the suit, the plaintiff stated that the taxes paid by Nigerians form part of the revenue that the government of Nigeria is using to run and fund the National Youth Service Corps Scheme, therefore the way and manner the Nigerian Government utilizes the revenue affects him and ever tax payer personally.

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He prayed the court for an order of injunction restraining the 3rd Defendant (the President) from assenting or giving his assent to the National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund Act, Bill, 2022 as passed by the 4″ Defendant and presented to the 3% Defendant for assent.

He also prayed for an order of the Court to strike down Sections 9 and 13 of the National Youth Service Corps Act, 1993 or the entire National Youth Service – Corps Act for being inconsistent with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.

In the affidavit in support of the originating summons, deposed to, by the plaintiff, he said:

That additional burden on the revenue of the Nigeria Government is additional burden on me as a tax paying Nigerian citizen.

That I know that the National Youth Service Corps Scheme, already is an expensive Scheme for Nigerian government, stretching the revenue of Nigerian beyond limit.

That I am aware that the National Assembly has proposed a Bill for the enactment of a Law to create National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund and is about to present the said Bill to the 3rd Defendant for assent.

That the proposed National Youth Service Trust Fund Bill if assented by the 3 Defendant will impose additional taxes as proposed by the Bill on me and other tax paying Nigerians.

That assenting to the Bill for the creation of National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund and spending more or additional public funds on the scheme will not only be additional burden on Nigerian tax payers of which I am, but a waste of public fund on a scheme that has lost meaning and relevance.

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That the National Youth Service Corps Scheme contemplates that every Nigerian Youth that the scheme applies to shall be able to be posted to anywhere in Nigeria and in service of the Federation.

That today, the present security situation and reality of the present time is that the scheme cannot post a Nigerian Youth that the scheme applies to, to Borno, Imo, Kastina, the home state of the 3 Defendant, Yobe, Zamfara, Sokoto and part of Kaduna State.

That instead of assenting to the Bill to create National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund, the National Youth Service Corps Scheme in its entirety should be scrapped and abolished since the 3” Defendant who is to assent to the Bill cannot guarantee the security of lives of Nigerian Youths that are posted across the Federation pursuant to the scheme.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.