The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has alleged that the Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Musawa, is serving as a minister while concurrently undertaking the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
According to HURIWA, the minister abandoned her NYSC in Ebonyi state years ago but recently expressed interest in completing it. The group claimed that she was mobilized for NYSC this year and was posted to a law firm in Abuja before her ministerial appointment.
HURIWA called on the NYSC to ensure that Musawa focuses on either her national youth service or her ministerial appointment, as serving as a minister while being an NYSC member raises concerns about the integrity of the system.
The Director of Press and Public Relations at the NYSC headquarters, Eddy Megwa, confirmed to TheCable that the minister is indeed a corps member.
A lawyer, Victor Giwa, highlighted that if the minister is indeed serving in the NYSC, she should be in her Place of Primary Assignment (PPA) and not holding a public service position simultaneously. He noted that this situation should have been identified during the screening process.
As of now, the minister has not responded to the allegations made by HURIWA. This case raises questions about the proper execution of the NYSC scheme and the ethical considerations surrounding public service appointments in Nigeria.