Being a corps member doesn’t stop my appointment, Hannatu tackles NYSC, Falana, others

However, reacting to the allegation of the NYSC Director of Press & Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, on Friday that the minister has been serving for the past 8 months in the FCT and that it was a breach of the NYSC act for any corps member to pick up government appointment until the one year of service was over, Musawa in a statement on Sunday, said it was not true. 

She said: “The last couple of days have witnessed barrage of media att@cks & misinformation about me following my appointment & swearing-in as the Minister of Art, Culture & Creative Economy by President Tinubu.

“I want to, again, thank President Tinubu for finding me worthy and for giving me the opportunity to serve the country I love as one of his Ministers.

“It is true I am currently on the NYSC national service, which I began 8 months ago as a matter of duty and devotion to my country, having been unable to complete the scheme since I was first mobilised in 2001. I started the mandatory national service as a Corps member deployed to Akwa-Ibom State (pls confirm state) in 2001 upon the completion of my university education.

“I could not complete the service 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 mobilised again for national service last year. NYSC graciously mobilised and deployed me to serve in Abuja where I have been serving in the last 8 months before my current appointment as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“I will like to state clearly that contrary to wrong insinuations and false assumptions in a section of the mainstream media and social media where false accusations have been made, 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 Corp member.

“It must be said that there is no law of Nigeria or any part of the our constitution and NYSC Act that states that a serving Corp 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 he/she can be appointed into political office. There is no legal and constitutional limitations whatsoever. I have not broken any law of Nigeria.”

NYSC claims 

Recall that the Director, Press and Public Relations of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Eddy Megwa, had said that the Minister of Arts and Culture, Mrs Hannatu Musawa, who is currently doing her one-year youth service is occupying the ministerial position in breach of the NYSC Act.

Speaking with a reporter over the phone, Megwa confirmed that the minister had been serving for the past eight months in the FCT.

He explained that it was against the NYSC Act for any corps member to pick up any government appointment until the one-year service was over.

He said Mrs Musawa was originally mobilised in 2001 for the youth service to Ebonyi State where she had her orientation programme but later relocated to Kaduna State to continue the programme.

He said it was when she got to Kaduna that she absconded and didn’t complete the programme.

Megwa noted that the scheme would look into the issue and take action where necessary.

Lawyers react

Reacting, Abeny Mohammed (SAN) said the action was a breach of the NYSC Act which stated that nobody would be legally employed or offer themselves for employment without doing the service and presenting the certificate or would have been exempted and had the certificate of exemption.

Mohammed said, “The situation we have at hand is that this person is still serving as a corper and she has been appointed a minister. It shows the inconsistency in our policies and disregard for our laws.”

Similarly, Femi Falana (SAN) said it was a violation of the law for anybody to still be serving in the NYSC and accept a ministerial appointment.

In a statement titled: “A Youth Corps Member is not Competent to be a Minister in Nigeria”, Falana said by virtue of Section 2 of the NYSC Act every citizen who graduated from any tertiary institution in and outside Nigeria and was not 30 years old shall be mobilised for the one-year compulsory national youth service, while any person above 30 was not eligible to participate in the service.”

Peoplesmind