Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has accused the Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa of serving as a minister while still doing the one-year mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.
In a statement on Thursday, HURIWA alleged that years back, Musawa had abandoned her NYSC programme in Ebonyi state but later showed interest in completing it.
The group claimed that the minister was mobilised this year and got posted to a law firm in Abuja before her appointment.
HURIWA urged the NYSC to compel Musawa to focus on either her national youth service or the ministerial appointment.
“She was confirmed by the senate without proper screening and sworn in by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as minister of arts
“HURIWA wonders about the kind of scrutiny being conducted by the Department of State Services so much so that it wasn’t disclosed that the minister is a youth corper,” the statement added.
The Director of Press and Public Relations at the NYSC headquarters, Eddy Megwa did not pick up calls to his line, and a response to the message sent to him was being awaited as of the time of filing this report.
However, he confirmed to TheCable on Thursday, that the minister is a corps member.
“Yes she is a serving corp member,” he was quoted as saying.
The Minister did not answer calls to her line and was yet to respond to the message sent to her on the matter, Punch reports.
A lawyer, Victor Giwa said the minister should be in her Place of Primary Assignment if she was serving.
He said, “If it is true that she is serving, she is not meant to hold public service at this time. In as much as she has enrolled to serve, everything she should be doing through her PPA. In fact, she ought to be in her PPA if it is true. I think this should have been spotted during the screening.”