Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), a pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group, has criticized the Senate for allowing Hannatu Musawa, the newly appointed Minister of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy, to take a bow and depart despite controversy surrounding her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Certificate.
According to HURIWA, the newly appointed Minister of Arts and Culture was actually a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) volunteer in Wuse 2 Abuja in 2023.
“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 a credible source in NYSC confirmed that the Minister is still a Youth Corps member with posting No. FC/23A/505.”
HURIWA recalled too that a former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, was forced to resign from President Muhammadu Buhari’s government after an online newspaper reported that she forged the NYSC exemption certificate used in securing her appointment as minister.
HURIWA recalled that in 2020, the Ahmed Lawan-led 9th Senate rejected Musawa’s nomination by former President Muhammadu Buhari as the Commissioner representing the North West at the National Pension Commission (PENCOM).
“Her failure to submit her 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 exempted 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 N4,000 or face imprisonment for a term of two years or both.”
HURIWA, which had earlier condemned Musawa for 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 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has asked the Central Bank of Nigeria to order her investigation and possible arrest and prosecution for breaching the extant law which prohibits such abuses of the National currency of Nigeria.
The group has also challenged NYSC to compel the minister to choose between completing her engagement as a Corps member under the NYSC national service scheme and then bag her NYSC Certificate or disengage from the service and focus on her new task as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It wondered why the correct status of Musawa was not made known to the members of the public before the Senate sensationally failed to screen her as it should.
Faulting the Department of State Services for not discovering that Musawa is a service Corps member, HURIWA alleged that years back, Musawa abandoned her NYSC in Ebonyi State but later showed interest to complete it and was mobilized this year and posted to a law firm in Abuja where she was serving before President Tinubu picked her as a ministerial nominee, and she was confirmed by Senate without proper screening.
The Minister was assigned to Onyilokwu Onyilowa and Company, which is based in the former Banex Plaza, HURIWA continued.
HURIWA noted that Musawa’s nomination by former President Muhammadu Buhari to serve as the Commissioner representing the North West at the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) was rejected in 2020 by the Ahmed Lawan-led 9th Senate.
Her rejection was attributed to her failure to produce her NYSC certificate. While participation in the National Youths Service Corps is required for all Nigerian graduates for one year, graduates above the age of 30 are exempt from the requirement.
According to Section 13 of the National Youth Service Corps Act, any Nigerian graduate under 30 who refuses to make themselves available for the required one-year service has committed an offense and is subject to a fine of N4,000 or two years in prison, or both, upon conviction.
HURIWA also recounted how Kemi Adeosun, a former minister of finance, was forced to resign from President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration when it was revealed in an online newspaper that she had falsified the NYSC exemption certificate that had been used to secure her appointment.
HURIWA has asked the Central Bank of Nigeria to order an investigation into Musawa and possibly her arrest and prosecution for violating the existing law that forbids such abuses of the National Currency of Nigeria. HURIWA had previously denounced Musawa for an alleged display of illegality by spreading crispy N1,000 notes to some local Hausa musicians at an event where she was reportedly being celebrated for her appointment as minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The organization has additionally urged NYSC to require the minister to decide between disengaging from the program and concentrating on her new role as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or finishing her engagement as a Corps member under the NYSC national service scheme and earning her NYSC certificate.
It questioned why Musawa’s true position had not been made known to the public before the Senate infamously failed to properly screen her.
HURIWA accused the Department of State Services of failing to recognize that Musawa is a member of the service Corps, alleging that Musawa had abandoned her NYSC in Ebonyi State years earlier but later expressed interest in finishing it. This year, Musawa was mobilized and posted to a law firm in Abuja where she was working before President Tinubu chose her as a ministerial nominee, and she was confirmed by the Senate without proper screening.