Abuja, Nigeria, January 29, 2024: In a significant legal development, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking the removal of the Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa. The basis for this request stems from allegations of Musawa’s purported violation of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Act.
The NBA-SPIDEL, represented by Chairman John Aikpokpo-Martins and Secretary Funmi Adeogun, contends that Minister Musawa and music promoter Kenny Ogungbe obtained their NYSC certificates in contravention of NYSC Act Cap N84. The organisation is urging the court to compel the NYSC to nullify the certificates issued to Musawa and Ogungbe.
The crux of the matter revolves around the claim that Musawa and Ogungbe were unlawfully mobilised for the mandatory one-year national youth service despite being above the age of 30, an alleged act deemed unlawful, illegal, and a challenge to patriotic values.
Furthermore, the plaintiffs argue that the national service undertaken by Musawa and Ogungbe, along with the corresponding certificates issued by the NYSC, should be deemed null and void.
The legal action seeks a declaration that individuals, including Musawa and Ogungbe, are not entitled to employment without presenting valid certificates of national youth service. Additionally, the plaintiffs seek a declaration that Minister Musawa is ineligible to continue holding public office, including the esteemed position of Honourable Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, due to an alleged violation of Sections 2(1), 12(1), and 13(1) of the NYSC Act, Cap. N84, LFN 2004.
This legal manoeuvre by the NBA-SPIDEL sets the stage for a potentially groundbreaking case, as the court is expected to adjudicate on the alleged breaches of the NYSC Act by the Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, and music promoter Kenny Ogungbe.
