Minister of Information, Culture and creative Economy, Miss Hannatu Musa Musawa has denied making any official statement in relation to her National Youth Service Corp, NYSC controversy that has continued to trail her appointment. Some section of media had yesterday Sunday circulated some written statement purportedly to have emanated from the office of the minister, claiming she has not broken any law by concurrently running a ministerial office and the NYSC.
However, the office of the Deputy Director, Press at the Federal Ministry of information and National Orientation, Suleiman Haruna, has issued a counter statement saying that the acclaimed statement did not emerged from the minister’s office as claimed by its purveyors and therefore dissociate the Minister from the purported statement.
The statement partly reads; “The attention of Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa, The Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, has been drawn to a recently circulating piece…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.”
The Minister reiterated that for clarity added that she did not made any statement concerning the controversy.
The travail of Musawa started three years ago when president Buhari nominated her for an appointment where but she failed to provide an evidence of serving a mandatory NYSC as a requirement to hold public office in Nigeria.
Subsequently, the controversy resurrected once again as President Tinubu some few days nominated her for a ministerial position, as the NYSC management revealed Musawa was still undergoing her mandatory national youth service.
Accordingly, critics began to build up as some people call for her to be relieved as she was not still qualified to hold public office until she completes the mandatory youth service.
It was learned that a review of documents by vigil360 revealed that an NYSC discharge certificate issued in Ms Musawa’s name in 2003 exists and is in the custody of the NYSC management, as authorities are withholding the document after accusing her of absconding at a point during her service year.
However, on her part, Ms Musawa claimed the NYSC was not diligent and careful enough in its search for her record and that she was not accorded a fair hearing to prove that she did not abscond.