President Bola Tinubu’s newly appointed Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa has berated her critics over widespread calls for her removal as minister while admitting that she is currently undergoing the one-year compulsory National Youth Service Corp scheme.
Musawa fired back at those calling for her to be ousted saying that she had done nothing wrong by serving as a youth corp member and accepting a ministerial appointment concurrently.
Truth Live News gathered that the minister who made this known in a statement on Sunday titled, “My personal statement on my status as a serving minister” noted that her appointment by President Bola Tinubu has followed a barrage of media attacks and misinformation about her.
The statement reads in part: “It is true I am currently a corps member which I began eight months ago as a matter of duty and devotion to my country, having been unable to complete the scheme since I was first mobilized in 2001.
“There is no breach of any law or constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended regarding my current position as a minister and status as serving corps member.”
According to her, “No part of any of them states that a serving corps member can not be appointed by the President of Nigeria or any other appointing authority into political positions.
“Equally, no part of our existing laws and NYSC Act says that a corps member must finish service before they can be appointed into political office. There are no legal or constitutional limitations whatsoever. I have not broken any law of Nigeria.
She Cited the ruling of Justice Taiwo in a case before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja in 2021 that stipulated that one is not required to present a first-degree certificate or any other certificate, including the NYSC certificate to be appointed a minister in the country.
Explaining why she’s still serving after many years of graduation, Musawa said, “I started the mandatory national service as a corps member deployed to Akwa-Ibom State in 2001 upon the completion of my university education. I could not complete the service the same year after my redeployment to Kaduna State due to family obligations.
“Despite this, it has been my personal resolve and commitment that I will always fulfill this national duty whenever I am opportune to do so.
“I applied to NYSC to be mobilized again for national service last year. NYSC graciously mobilized and deployed me to serve in Abuja where I have been serving for the last eight months before my current appointment as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” she added.
Musa called on Nigerians to support her in the new assignment as she looks forward to completing her NYSC programme in the next four months.