Court fines NYSC N5m for violating corps member’s rights

Bars it from forcing female corpers to wear trousers

THE Federal High Court in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State has awarded N15 million damages against the National Youth Service Corps ( NYSC) for infringement and violation of the fundamental human rights of a corps member, Ufumaka Glory Ukpanken.

Ukpanken had sued the NYSC, its Director, Brigadier General Yusha’u Ahmed and State Co- ordinator for not allowing her to wear a skirt as part of its uniform which breaches her fundamental right to religious belief.

But NYSC through its counsel, J. N. OrunaNwankwo urged the court to dismiss the suit with a heavy cost for lacking in merit.

Delivering judgment on the matter, Justice H. A. Nganjiwa held that NYSC, the Director and the State coordinator should not force female corps members to wear trousers.

The judge also held that the use of skirt by the applicant ( Ukpanken) as official dressing, uniform/ kit forms part of her fundamental rights to the freedom of religion and freedom to manifest same in practice and observance as contained, guaranteed and protected in section 38 ( 1) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria ( as altered).

Justice Nganjiwa further held that the harassment, embarrassment, humiliation and instituted proceedings to discipline the applicant to which she is currently subjected to in the hands of the agents of the

NYSC is a clear infringement on her fundamental rights to freedom of religion, right to dignity of human person and form degrading treatment. The judge restrained the respondents, their servants, agents, privies from further abducting, arresting, detaining and subjecting the applicant or any female member of the NYSC from further harassment, embarrassment, humiliation and instituted proceedings to discipline her on account of her use of skirt as part of her official NYSC dressing or purported enforcement of the NYSC Bye laws 1999 or any amended version in this regard.

He also ordered the NYSC to allow the applicant to complete her NYSC as required by law.

The judge ordered that the applicant upon completion of the said mandatory NYSC service be issued her certificate of national service immediately.

Immediate past Secretary to the Abia State Government, Chris Ezem ( left); Life Bencher, Mr R A Lawal- Rabana ; new wig, Mr David Chikemka Nwobike and his father, Dr Joseph Nwobike during David's call to Bar ceremony in Abuja.