By Damilare Adeleye
Hajia Hannatu Musawa Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy,has disassociated herself from the statement issued on her NYSC status as a serving Minister.
As contained in a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Press Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the minister said she has not released any official statement regarding the aforementioned matter and asked the public to be cautious of unverified information.
She expressed appreciation to the support, solidarity, and understanding of Nigerians in these times, and insisted that she had not issued any statement on the issue.
The statement reads in parts: “The attention of Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa, Hon. Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, has been drawn to a recently circulating piece titled: “MY PERSONAL STATEMENT ON MY NYSC STATUS AS A SERVING MINISTER. The piece is inaccurately associated with her in relation to the current NYSC discussion. “The Hon. Minister clarifies that she has not released any official statement regarding the aforementioned matter and kindly asks the public to be cautious of unverified information.
“I deeply value and appreciate the support, solidarity, and understanding of Nigerians in these times. For clarity, I wish to state that I have not issued any statement on the current issue,” the statement read. It could be recalled that the media was awash on Sunday by a statement purportedly emanated from the Minister, where she allegedly confirmed that she is a serving corps member.
Musawa allegedly had said she had not broken any part of the laws of the National Youths Service Corps. The purported statement read, “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 mobilised 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.” It added, “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.”
“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 fulfil 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 for the last eight months before my current appointment as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the statement said.