More trouble for Musawa, as rights group claims minister still undergoing NYSC programme

Rights advocacy group in the country, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has claimed that newly-inaugurated Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Ms Hannatu Musawa, has yet to conclude her compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme before being confirmed by the senate.

Ms Musawa was last Monday, sworn in as Minister of the newly-established Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy in the executive cabinet of President Bola Tinubu.

Only Wednesday, Musawa faced another controversy over a viral video which showed the Katsina State ministerial nominees spraying Naira notes at a public function organised to celebrate her inauguration as minister.

She faces up to six months in prison if convicted, as the crime contravenes Section 21 of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act 2007, which states that tampering with the Naira bank notes would attract imprisonment.

According to the Act, anyone caught in the act is guilty of an offence, and liable to six months in prison or will be fined N50,000 or might get both fine and imprisonment.

The CBN explained in the Act that spraying, dancing, or matching on the Naira is an abuse or tampering of Nigeria’s currency.

Meanwhile, HURIWA, Wednesday, alleged that the minister is still technically a serving member of the NYSC, and not qualified to be in the federal cabinet.

HURIWA, in a statement signed by its National President, Emmanuel Onwubiko, and dated Wednesday, July 23 said Musawa was posted to Onyilokwu Onyilowa and Co., said to be located at the old Banex Plaza, Abuja.

In a statement titled: “You can’t be a serving NYSC Corper and Minister at the Same Time,” HURIWA alleged that her NYSC posting details are FC/23A/505.

Berating senate President, Godswill Akpabio for allowing Musawa to ‘take a bow and go,’ HURIWA questioned the gesture by the lawmakers, some of whom, it hinted, had prior knowledge that there were unanswered posers over her NYSC status.

“The Nigerian Senate allowed Hannatu Musawa, then ministerial nominee, to ‘bow and go’ despite the controversy surrounding her National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) certificate,” HURIWA said.

Musawa was the last ministerial nominee to show up for Senate’s screening during penultimate Tuesday’s plenary session of the Nigerian Senate.

HURIWA described as “despicable what was a routine with the Godswill Akpabio-led Senate, in which the then ministerial nominee Ms. Musawa was asked to ‘take a bow and go’ without being asked any questions about her academic qualifications, including the controversy surrounding her NYSC certificate which, as confirmed to HURIWA by a credible source in the NYSC, that the Minister is actually a Youth corps member.”

“Her failure to submit her National Youth Service (NYSC) certificate was cited as reason for her rejection. While it is compulsory for every Nigerian graduate to take part in the National Youths Service Corps for one year, graduates who are above 30 years are exempt from the national service.

”Section 13 of the National Youths Service Corps Act stipulates that any Nigerian graduate below 30 who refuses to make himself/herself available for the compulsory one-year service has committed an offence “and liable on conviction to a fine of N4,OOO or to imprisonment for a term of two years or to both such fine and imprisonment.”

HURIWA which also condemned Musawa for her alleged display of illegality by spreading crispy N1,000 notes to some local Hausa musicians at an event in which she was reportedly being celebrated over her appointment as Minister.

The rights group has asked the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) investigate her and possibly arrest and prosecute the Minister ”for breaching the extant law which prohibits such abuses of the national currency of Nigeria.”

HURIWA challenged the NYSC to compel the Minister to choose “between completing her engagement as a corps member under the NYSC and then bag her NYSC Certificate or to disengage from being a Youth corps member and then focus on her new task as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

HURIWA wondered why Musawa’s accurate status was not disclosed to members of the public even as the Senate “sensationally failed to screen her as it should.”

”HURIWA wonders the kind of scrutiny being conducted by the Department of State Services so much so that it wasn’t disclosed that the Minister is actually a Youth corper…Years back, Musawa abandoned her NYSC in Ebonyi State but later showed interest to complete it in which she was mobilized this year and posted to a law firm in Abuja where she is as a corper before President Tinubu picked her as a ministerial nominee, she was confirmed by Senate without proper screening and sworn in by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Minister of Arts.”

The group quoted the NYSC Public Relations Officer (PRO), Eddy Megwa, who had confirmed that the minister ‘is still doing her service.’

”Yes, she is currently doing her compulsory one-year National Youth Service. She was mobilised some time ago when she was below 30 years of age, but she absconded from service.

”Some time ago, she came back and indicated interest to complete her service, and she was re-mobilised in line with the NYSC Act,” Megwa said.

When asked if it was proper for her to still serve even when she is above 40 years of age, the NYSC spokesman said that the scheme acted in line with NYSC Act because the reason for any Corps member not being able to complete his or her service may stem from natural cause such as ill health.

“A Corps member may fail to complete his or her service due to natural cause, for example ill health. If such a Corps member comes back to complete the compulsory one-year service, the scheme must re-mobilize such a person since we cannot just give out the certificate without completing the service.”

Also asked if her appointment as Minister contravened the NYSC Act, Megwa said: ‘it’s illegal for her to hold any government position in Nigeria. It contravenes the laws of NYSC Act.’

Meanwhile, reacting to the allegation of the minister spraying money at a function, the CBN’s Director of Corporate Communications, Isa Abdulmumin, said the Naira abuse policy is still active, adding further that the bank ‘will confront her (Musawa).’

“The law is still active and if for anything, stringent measures are in place to curtail such anti-social behaviour. We will confront her.”

The CBN official stated that anyone found culpable risks punishment.