Insecurity: FG dragged to court over existence of NYSC scheme

The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has been dragged before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, over the continued existence of the NYSC scheme, which was introduced in 1973 by the administration of General Yakubu Gowon, as Head of State.

The scheme mandate every Nigerian graduate to serve the country for a period of one year before seeking paid employment.

The plaintiff, Okomayin Dennis Ude, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1185/2022 joined the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the President, Federal Republic Of Nigeria, the National Assembly and the Minister of Finance as defendants.

The plaintiff, in the suit filed through his lawyer, Chief Ademuyiwa Adeniyi (SAN), is praying the court to declare that, the continued sustenance of the National Youth Service Corps Act, 1993 and the mandatory posting of innocent Nigerian Youths to insurgency and banditry ravaged or prone states pursuant to Sections 9 and 13 of the National Youths Service Corps Act, 1993 is a breach of the right of every Nigerian Youth to the security of life and dignity as guaranteed by Sections 33 and 34 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.

He also seeks 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 4th Defendant and presented to the 3rd Defendant for assent.

“An order of this Court striking 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, “I know that the taxes paid by Nigerians form part of the revenue that the government of Nigeria is using to run and fund the NYSC Scheme, therefore the way and manner the Nigerian Government utilizes the revenue affects me personally.

“That additional burden on the revenue of the Nigerian Government is an additional burden on me as a tax-paying Nigerian citizen. That I know that the NYSC Scheme, already is an expensive Scheme for the Nigerian government, stretching the revenue of Nigerians beyond the limit.

“That I am aware that the National Assembly has proposed a Bill for the enactment of a Law to create NYSC Trust Fund and is about to present the said Bill to the 3rd Defendant for assent. The proposed Bill, if assented by the 3rd Defendant will impose additional taxes as proposed by the Bill on me and other tax-paying Nigerians.”

He said, assenting to the Bill for the creation of the NYSC Trust Fund and spending more or additional public funds on the scheme will not only be an additional burden on Nigerian taxpayers of which he is one but a waste of public funds on a scheme that has lost meaning and relevance.

According to the plaintiff, the Scheme contemplates that every graduate youth shall be posted anywhere in Nigeria and in service of the Federation and added that, 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.

Instead of assenting to the Bill to create the NYSC Trust Fund, the NYSC Scheme in its entirety should be scrapped and abolished since the 3rd 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.

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