Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has confirmed that she is currently a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Musawa confirmed this in a Sunday statement following the controversy generated by her status as a corps member.
Many Nigerians had called for the new minister’s removal from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) after it emerged that she is currently taking part in the one-year mandatory national service.
In her statement, Musawa insisted that she had not broken any part of the laws guiding the NYSC programme.
She said, “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.”
Alluding to the 1999 Constitution and the NYSC Act, Musawa said, “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.”