The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has raised concerns over the alleged dual status of Hannatu Musa Musawa, the Minister of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy. According to HURIWA, Musawa is purportedly still serving as a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), despite holding the ministerial position.

In a recently issued statement titled “You can’t be a serving NYSC Corper and Minister at the Same Time,” HURIWA asserted that Musawa’s NYSC placement was at Onyilokwu Onyilowa and Co., reportedly located at the old Banex Plaza in Abuja. The organization also disclosed that the minister’s NYSC posting particulars were identified as FC/23A/505.

The association criticized the Senate’s leadership for granting clearance to Musawa during her ministerial screening, despite alleged awareness among some senators regarding her NYSC status. HURIWA expressed its discontent with what it referred to as the “unusual practice” of the Senate, headed by Godswill Akpabio at the time, where Musawa was allowed to “take a bow and go” without undergoing questioning about her academic qualifications, including the controversy surrounding her NYSC certificate.

Quoting the statement, HURIWA stated, “The Nigerian Senate allowed Hannatu Musawa, then ministerial nominee, to ‘bow and go’ despite the controversy surrounding her National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.”

HURIWA recollected a prior incident in 2020 when the Senate, under the leadership of Lawan, rejected Musawa’s nomination as a commissioner representing PENCOM due to her alleged inability to present her NYSC certificate. The organization highlighted that her lack of submission of the NYSC certificate was cited as the grounds for her rejection.

Citing the relevant legal framework, HURIWA emphasized, “Her failure to submit her National Youth Service (NYSC) certificate was cited as the 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 old are exempt 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 is liable on conviction to a fine of N4, OOO or to imprisonment for a term of two years or both such fine and imprisonment.'”