National Youth Council Leadership Dissolved

National Youth Council Leadership Dissolved
Chukwumerije Aja, Abuja.

After over four years of protracted legal battle over the leadership of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), the Federal Government and other feuding parties have settled the crisis out of court.

Other feuding parties are Peace Corp of Nigeria and Minister for Youth Development and the Attorney General of the Federation.

The memorandum of settlement was dated August 8, 2011.

The parties have agreed to work together to restructure and reorganize the National Youth Council of Nigeria in order to meet the yearnings and aspiration of Nigerian youths.

Consequently, the two parallel national executive committee of the NYCN have been dissolved by the federal high court in Abuja.

Protracted legal action

Meanwhile, all counsel in the matter including, Barrister Chris Erabo, Barrister Suleiman Yakubu and others, adopted a memorandum of settlement out of court consequent upon which the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court entered judgment in line with the agreement.

Plaintiff in the legal battle, the Peace Corp of Nigeria had sued the Minister of Youth Development, Attorney General of the Federation and the National Youth Council of Nigeria, challenging its defoliation as a member of NYCN unilaterally and arbitrarily by the Youth Development Minister.

Restructure and reorganize
Entering the judgment to put to an end the protracted legal action, Justice Ibrahim Auta endorsed the 23-man Transition Committee headed by Ajani Olawale James as Chairman and Ambassador Dickson Akoh as Deputy, to take over the running’s of NYCN and serve in such office for a maximum period of six months.

The Chief Judge also endorsed the setting up of an Affiliation Committee headed by Oska David Kalu, Constitution Review Committee headed by Tochukwu Ohazurike and a Congress Planning Committee under Sofade George to conduct an election for the council.

The five page document containing the memorandum of settlement was signed by Ambassador Dickson Akoh (plaintiff), Ajani Olawale James (for defendants) and Sotade George (for defendants).

The memorandum read inter-alia: ... it is hereby agreed that by all the contesting parties to settle this matter out of Court on the following: "That all contesting parties have agreed to work together henceforth to restructure and reorganize the National Youth Council of Nigeria in order to move the council forward with a view to meeting the yearnings and aspiration of Nigerian youths.

"That the Comrade, Ajani Olawole James-led National Executive of the National Youth Council of Nigeria and Comrade Shotade George-led National Exeecutive of the National Youth Council of Nigeria is hereby dissolved".

Nationwide revalidation exercise

In this connection, a 23-man Transition Committee has been inaugurated, with three standing committees to take over the running of the secretariat, activities and programmes of the council.

Besides, the memorandum of settlement, a consent judgment indicated that the transition committee "shall be in office for a maximum period of six (6) months".

Parties also agreed that a nationwide revalidation exercise of all Voluntary Youth Organizations (VYO's) duly affiliated to the National Youth Council of Nigeria be carried out forthwith by the Affiliation Committee, with a view to ascertaining their true existence.

In the same vein, the memorandum declared that the Federal Ministry of Youth Development shall continue to recognise the Peace Corps of Nigeria and give it all necessary support in its operational activities in accordance with this peace agreement.

Uche Iheanacho