Lawyer sues Jonathan, AGF over NYSC

By Ola Ajayi
A legal practitioner, Mr. Oluwole Aluko has instituted an action against  President Goodluck Jonathan and Attorney-General of the Federation,  Mohammed Adoke (SAN) in a Federal High Court over the establishment of the National Youth Service Corps.

The lawyer is praying the court to determine among other prayers whether the scheme which came into being in 1973 is not in contravention of the provision  of the 1999 Constitution and African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

He says the court should abrogate the scheme and declare it null and void and that the court should determine whether every Nigerian below age 30, on completion of his first degree is liable to be called upon to serve for one year.

Mr. Aluko is also asking the court to determine if the youth service is not inconsistent with section 34(1) (a) (b) and (c) of the Constitution that allows all Nigerians right to personal dignity and freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment, slavery and freedom from performing compulsory labour.

He wants the court to decide if calling the Nigerian youths to serve in the scheme without guaranteeing his safety of life is inconsistent with the provision of section 33 (1) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution that guarantees the rights to life of every person.

Other prayers of the lawyer are whether the provision of section 12 (1) of the NYSC that states there cannot be employment anywhere in the country except on the production of the discharge certificate or exemption certificate issued NYSC constitutes act of compulsion.