Hannatu Musa Musawa, minister of art, culture and creative economy, says she did nothing wrong accepting a ministerial position in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet while undergoing the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
Musawa spoke on ‘Sunday Politics’, a Channels Television programme.
During the chat, Musawa was asked how she became a minister without an NYSC certificate.
An NYSC certificate or exemption letter is a mandatory requirement for persons seeking public offices.
The minister said the matter has been “adjudicated” and that one day she will give a “proper account” of what transpired.
She said she did not break the law, adding that she had undergone two years of national youth service in her lifetime.
“There have been so many different accounts of that particular situation. The fact that I’m sat here should tell you that I did not do anything wrong,” she said.
“I have not come out to set the records straight as to what really happened. The social media has just run rife with different accounts.
“The matter has been adjudicated and one day, I will come out with my own account.”
Asked if she owes Nigerians an explanation on the saga, the minister added that the only thing she can say is that she did nothing wrong.
“I did not break the law. I did NYSC and finished. I can assure you that nothing was done to break the law or regulation. Everything that I did was in accordance with the law,” she said.
THE CONTROVERSY
In August 2023, TheCable reported the NYSC management as confirming that Musawa was a serving corps member.
This was sequel to a claim by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), a civil society organisation, that Musawa was undertaking the one-year mandatory youth service scheme while being a member of the federal cabinet.
Musawa was appointed minister in August 2023. When she appeared before the senate for screening, the lawmakers did not pose questions pertaining to her NYSC certificate.
In September 2020, former President Muhammadu Buhari nominated Musawa as national commissioner to represent the north-west geopolitical zone on the national pension commission board.
However, the senate in October of the same year, rejected her nomination over a report from the committee on establishment and public service matters — which stated that Musawa failed to provide her NYSC certificate or exemption letter.
In April, a federal high court in Abuja dismissed the suit seeking to sack the culture minister over the NYSC controversy.
The suit was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Concerned Nigeria, Patrick Eholor and Thomas Marcus.
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