Art Minister, Musawa Denies Statement Confirming NYSC Status

The Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has disowned a viral statement confirming her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) status and ministerial appointment.

Naija News reports that the NYSC status of Musawa has been a subject of intense media controversy in the past few days following her swearing-in as one of the 45 ministers of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The management of NYSC had confirmed the claim that she is undergoing NYSC, saying the Minister absconded when she was first mobilised for the scheme in 2003.

Thus, some critics have said she is not qualified to be appointed Minister as a serving NYSC member.

However, the minister, in the now-disowned statement issued on Sunday, said she had not broken any part of the laws of the NYSC.

Musawa, in a statement titled, “My personal statement on my status as a serving minister,” said her appointment by President Bola Tinubu had followed a barrage of media attacks and misinformation about her.

Debunking the viral statement, the Deputy Director of Press at the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Suleiman Haruna, in a statement, said such a statement did not emanate from Musawa.

He stated that Musawa has not officially issued any statement about the controversies surrounding her NYSC status.

Haruna said, “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.

“For clarity, the Minister said, I wish to state that I have not issued any statement on the current issue”