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Legal Unit

The Legal Unit is an autonomous Unit under the Office of the Director-General. It is the Legal Adviser, Solicitor and Advocate of NYSC.

VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS

The Unit's Vision and Mission Statements are as follows:

  1. VISION STATEMENT:

  2. To promote fairness, equity and industrial harmony through laws and regulations in administration of justice in the Scheme.


  3. MISSION STATEMENT:

  4. To deliver quality legal services to Management in order to achieve the objectives of the National Youth Service Corps.


SECTIONS IN THE LEGAL UNIT:

The Unit has three (3) Sections. They are as follows:-


  1. Drafting and Contract.

  2. Litigation.

  3. National Governing Board Secretariat:-The domiciliation of the NYSC National Governing Board Secretariat in the Legal Unit is pursuant to the approval of the administrative re-structuring of the Scheme in 2011 by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation as well as the recommendation of the Committee set up by the NYSC Top Management in 2015 on the Implementation of the Two Additional Departments in the Scheme

ROLES OF THE SECTIONS:

The Duties and Functions of the Sections in Legal Unit are as follows:


  1. Drafting and Contract :

  2. This Section is responsible for drafting and vetting of all legal documents involving the Scheme in the Unit


  3. Litigation:-

  4. This Section is responsible for prosecution and defence of all cases involving the Scheme


  5. Governing Board Secretariat

  6. The Secretariat is to cover all the activities of the NYSC National Governing Board.


PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Services the Legal Unit renders are:


  1. Legal advice - The Unit renders qualitative legal advice to NYSC Management on legal and administrative issues.

  2. Litigation - The Unit represents the Scheme in Courts and Arbitral Panels in the prosecution and defence of cases involving NYSC

  3. Contract agreements - The Unit formalizes contract agreements for supply of various items and vets customized agreements, Memoranda of Understanding and other legal instruments between NYSC and other persons.

  4. Administrative duties - The Legal Officers in the Unit also carry out normal administrative duties assigned to them such as membership of various Committees, amongst many others

  5. Corps Legal Aid Scheme - The Unit coordinates the activities of the Corps Legal Aid Scheme (CLAS) that renders free and quality legal services to indigent in-mates and members of the society

  6. Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACoN) - The Unit represents the Scheme on the Governing Board of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria.

  7. Governing Board Secretariat - The Unit is to cover all activities of the NYSC National Governing Board when the Board is re-constituted

PARTNERS AND COLLABORATORS:

The Partners and Collaborators of the Unit include:-


  1. Contractors,

  2. Federal Ministry of Justice,

  3. Legal Aid Council of Nigeria and

  4. Persons that are parties to Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding,

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

Litigation- Cases involving the Scheme in Courts and Arbitral Panels are being handled by in-house Counsel (Legal Officers) in the Unit. This saves the Scheme huge sums of money that would have been paid as legal fees to External Solicitors. Recently, the Unit successfully concluded and won four (4) cases while about thirty nine (39) other cases are presently pending in various Law Courts in Nigeria. The recently concluded cases are as follows:-


  1. National Industrial Court, Akure - NICN/BEN/14/2013 - Mr. Bright Esyine Shedrack V. CMD, Bayelsa Hospital Management Board & 1 Other - The Plaintiff claimed the sum of Ten Million Naira (N10,000,000.00) only as general damages, among other reliefs, for alleged breach of his fundamental rights when he was requested to surrender the NYSC Certificate of Exemption issued to him in error. NYSC was the 2nd defendant. It was challenged and dismissed in October, 2015 for being incompetent

  2. Federal High Court, Lagos - FHC/L/CS/1710/2014 - Azoro, Okoye & Nwokolo & Anor V. President, Federal Republic of Nigeria & 2 Others - The 1st Applicant was a Firm of Legal Practitioners while the 2nd Applicant (Innocent Obinna Akpuchukwu) was a corps member for the 2014 Batch ā€˜Cā€™ service year. They alleged that the NYSC on-line mobilization process and monies charged from prospective corps members in respect thereof were illegal. The suit was challenged and dismissed in November, 2015 for being incompetent.

  3. Federal High Court, Abuja - FHC/ABJ/CS/95/2013 - Mr. Philip Agbese V. Senator Gearge Akume & 4 Others -TThe Plaintiff sought a declaration that the Certificate of National Service issued to Senator Akume was illegal. NYSC was the 5th defendant. It was struck out in favour of the Scheme in February, 2016.

  4. Federal High Court, Akure - FHC/AK/CS/19/2016 - All Progressives Congress & 4 Others V. Peoples Democratic Party & 11 Others - The Plaintiffs sought to stop the Local Government elections in Ondo State. They also sought to stop NYSC from providing corps members as Ad-hoc Staff for the said elections. The matter was dismissed in favour of the Scheme in April, 2016

HOTLINES

In case of any problem or inquiries, you can contact the Unit through any of the following hotlines:


  1. 08033119404

  2. 08036670303

  3. 08034291313

  4. 08035531679