Group Sues NYSC Over Mobilisation Fraud

A non-governmental organisation, Citizens Advocacy Initiative For Accountable Leadership (CAIFAL), has filed a suit at a Federal High Court in Lagos against the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) over alleged mobilisation fraud.

The respondents in the suit filed on Thursday are, the Director General of NYSC, Sidmach Technologies Limited, Minister for Youths and Sports, and the Attorney General of the Federation.

The group in its suit number FHC/L/CS/840/16 is seeking a declaration that by virtue of the provisions of the NYSC Act 1993, the first to third respondents, have no statutory rights, to demand a pre-mobilisation fee from prospective corps members.
In a supporting affidavit deposed to by one Mr Mike Ogie, the group averred that sometime in 2014, the NYSC introduced an electronic registration programme where prospective corps members were required to register online with the sum of N3,000 as precedents for mobilisation.
The group accused NYSC of charging a mandatory N3000 call-up letter fee from prospective youth corps members, contrary to its enabling law.

According to the group, the scheme officials connived with a private company, Sidmach Technologies Limited, charged N3000 fee to prospective corps members to print out their call-up letters.

Addressing a press conference after filing the action, the group’s chairman, the board of trustees, Chief Tony Dania stated that the aim of the suit is to get a court pronouncement, halting the alleged ‘illegality’.
He said since 2014, NYSC introduced the payment of N3,000 as fees paid by graduating Nigerian students popularly referred to as “Prospective Corps Members” (PCM), who are to be “mobilised”/“conscripted” into the one year “compulsory” and ‘mandatory’ service to their fatherland.

The group stated that it is a criminal offence under the NYSC Act 1993, if a graduate, who is not exempted is refused to be mobilised. While adding that is very wrong, improper, fraudulent, illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional, condemnable and conspicuously contradictory to the positive change and anti-corruption policies of the current Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

No date has been fixed for the hearing.

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