Confusion as Minister of Culture, Musawa, denies statement over NYSC saga

Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has retracted a statement that she personally signed claiming that she broke no law as a minister while still performing her required one-year national youth service.

She said she did not authorise any statements, according to a statement made by Suleiman Haruna, the Deputy Director of Press at the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation.

A statement earlier issued and signed by her said, “In a decided case before a Federal High Court Abuja in 2021, Justice Taiwo Taiwo ruled that the Constitution of Nigeria, which is the grundnorm, does not require anyone to even present a first degree certificate or any other certificate, including the NYSC certificate to be appointed a minister in Nigeria.”

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She had frowned on what she called a barrage of attacks on her person stressing, “I decided to participate in the current NYSC programme in fulfilment of my own personal commitment and out of sense of duty which I am proud of.”

But in a fresh statement authored by Haruna titled STATEMENT FROM BARR. HANNATU MUSA MUSAWA, HON. MINISTER OF ART, CULTURE AND CREATIVE ECONOMY, it clarified that “The piece is inaccurately associated with her in relation to the current NYSC discussion.”

The statement read in part, “The 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 statement added that she deeply values and appreciates “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 quoted the minister as saying.