Group claims culture minister Musawa is still a corp member

Hannatu Musawa, minister of art, culture, and the creative economy, is charged by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria for holding office while participating in the one-year National Youth Service Corps programme.

HURIWA claimed in a statement on Thursday that Musawa abandoned her NYSC in Ebonyi state years ago but later expressed interest in finishing it.

The organisation asserted that the minister was sent to an Abuja legal company before her appointment and mobilised this year.

The organisation requested the NYSC to compel Musawa to prioritise either her ministerial post or her national youth service.

“She was confirmed by the senate without proper screening and sworn in by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as minister of arts.

“HURIWA wonders about the kind of scrutiny being conducted by the Department of State Services so much so that it wasn’t disclosed that the minister is a youth corper,” the statement added.

Eddy Megwa, the Director of Press and Public Relations at the NYSC headquarters, did not return calls to his line, and as of the time this report was filed, a response to the message left for him was still pending.

He did, however, affirm to TheCable on Thursday that the minister is a member of the corps.

“Yes she is a serving corp member,” he was quoted as saying.

The Minister did not return calls to her line and had not yet replied to the message that had been left for her regarding the situation.

The minister should be in her Place of Primary Assignment if she is serving, according to lawyer Victor Giwa.

He said, “If it is true that she is serving, she is not meant to hold public service at this time. In as much as she has enrolled to serve, everything she should be doing through her PPA. In fact, she ought to be in her PPA if it is true. I think this should have been spotted during the screening.”

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