NYSC certificate saga: Court fixes date to hear suit asking for Adeosun’s sack

A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed October 8 to hear a suit asking it to sack the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, from office for not possessing a valid discharge certificate issued by the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC.

The Chief Judge of the high court, Justice Abdul Abdu-Kafarati, has assigned the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/712/2018, to Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu for expeditious hearing.

A constitutional lawyer, Mr. Francis Obalim, had approached the court, praying for an order quashing and setting aside Mrs. Adeosun’s appointment as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari, same being an act done in circumvention of a condition precedent and in contravention of mandatory Sections 12, 13 and 14 of the NYSC Act which is an integral part of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

He maintained that Adeosun, who was cited as the 1st defendant in the matter, was not qualified to be employed by the Federal Government of Nigeria either as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or in any other capacity whatsoever, without first presenting a valid discharge certificate issued by the NYSC.

The plaintiff also wanted the court to restrain FG from further according a Ministerial status to the 1st defendant, until she presents a valid certificate of discharge regularly issued by the NYSC.

He wants the court to compel the 1st defendant to refund forthwith to FG, through the Treasury Single Account domiciled at the Central Bank of Nigeria, all the salaries, emoluments, allowances and such other benefits she has enjoyed since her resumption as a Minister in 2015.

Other defendants in the suit were the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and Clerk of the Senate.

The lawyer prayed the court to determine, “Whether upon an intimate reading and complete understanding Sections 12, 13 and 14 of the National Youth Service Corp Act which is an integral part of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, the 1st Defendant is qualified to be employed by the Federal Government of Nigeria either as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or in any other capacity whatsoever without first presenting a valid discharge certificate issued by the National Youth Service Corp?

He also prayed the court to well as determine, “Whether the appointment of the 1st Defendant by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria [as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria] and the subsequent confirmation of same by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are not a nullity and therefore liable to be quashed and set aside being acts done in circumvention of a condition precedent and in violation of Sections 12, 13 and 14 of the National Youth Service Corp Act which is an integral part of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended?”

-Daily Post