…As anti-graft agencies tasked to probe allegation of extortion against Reps Ad-hoc Committee
Nigerians have sustained the pressure and calls for the removal of the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa as a member of the Federal Executive Council.
This followed the controversies surrounding her National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) Certificate which is considered as a clear violation of the law.
Similarly, the anti-graft agencies have been tasked to as a matter of importance, investigate allegation of extortion by members of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc committee probing job racketeering in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
A report by Premium Times had exposed more complexities regarding the NYSC certificate saga involving Minister Hannatu Musawa.
The Lead Director of Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), Eze Onyekpere and other participants stated during an anti-corruption radio programme, PUBLIC CONSCIENCE, produced by the Progressive Impact Organisation for Community Development (PRIMORG), on Wednesday in Abuja, called for the immediate termination of the appointment of Musawa as a minister.
Onyekpere specifically faulted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s appointment of the Musawa as a minister in spite of her failure to complete the NYSC programme after over 20 years and subsequent inclusion in the cabinet even when she is still a serving corps member.
He said; “Musawa’s appointment was a clear violation of the law. Her actions are unpatriotic and bad example for youths. I’m very much of the school of thought that the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy is not qualified. She is not a fit and proper person to occupy that position because she is a bad example. Nigerian youth must not copy her, and she should not be a minister.
“She (Musawa) avoided the NYSC programme for 21 years. On what authority, which law allows that? She has held the law to ransom and in contempt. Therefore, she shouldn’t benefit from it.
“A serving corps member cannot be a member of the Federal Executive Council, and lawyers justifying her actions must remember that the legal profession cannot be a profession of diabolical prudence or profession for refusing to speak the truth,” Onyekpere stressed.
Commenting on Nigerian lawmakers accused of extorting money from agencies they are investigating, Onyekpere described the development as insane and called on victims to speak up and for anti-corruption agencies to punish those found wanting.
On their part, the duo of Premium Times journalists, Qosim Suleiman and Majeed Bakare, tasked President Tinubu to uphold the constitution with regards to Musawa’s NYSC saga while reminding anti-corruption agencies that they owe it to Nigerians to get to the root of allegations of House of Representatives committee extorting public institutions.
Suleiman particularly said that the continued stay in office of Musawa as a minister is setting a precedent that anyone could be a serving corps member and at the same time be appointed into a public office.
In his own contribution, Bakare revealed that Premium Times had written a petition to anti-graft agencies following investigations indicting the National Assembly committee of extorting Vice Chancellors of some Universities.
Chairman of the Ad hoc Committee investigating job racketeering in Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, had dismissed allegations of extortion against the panel, arguing that the report was unfair to tag all 37 committee members as ‘corrupt.’
Meanwhile, some civil society groups have reportedly approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to nullify Musawa’s appointment maintaining that being a serving Corps member, she was legally unfit to be appointed a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
