The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has confirmed that the minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa who was sworn-in on Monday by President Bola Tinubu along 44 others, is a serving corps member.
TheCable news online reports that this follows a claim by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), a civil society organisation, that Musawa is undertaking the one-year mandatory youth service scheme while she is still a member of Tinubu’s cabinet.
HURIWA claimed that the culture minister is a member of NYSC, whose place of primary assignment is a law firm in Abuja.
Director of press and public relations at the NYSC headquarters, Eddy Megwa, confirmed on Thursday, that the minister is a corps member.
“Yes she is a serving corp member,” Megwa replied to an enquiry.
The development has thrown concerns about the rightness of an individual could holding such a public office while serving as a youth corps member.
HURIWA also alleged that years back, Musawa abandoned her NYSC in Ebonyi state but later showed interest in completing it.
The organisation added that the minister was mobilised this year and got posted to a law firm in Abuja before President Tinubu picked her as a nominee.
An NYSC certificate or exemption letter is a mandatory requirement for those seeking public offices on the basis of election or appointment.
In 2018, a minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari was made to resign her appointment for failing to participate in the NYSC programme as at when due. In her case, Adeosun was alleged to have also forged the NYSC certificate.
