September 03, (THEWILL) – She was the erstwhile special adviser on culture and entertainment economy to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu before her elevation as the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy. But she has been dogged by controversy surrounding her certificates ever since she was announced a ministerial nominee.
Hannatu Musawa did not undergo the mandatory National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, required of every Nigerian graduate. Surprisingly, for a government that prides itself as one that plans to be transparent in its dealings, this major fact was totally ignored during her elevation from Senior Adviser to Minister. More surprising is the attitude of the Nigerian Senate during the ministerial screening. The Senate which is expected to checkmate the executive arm of government, unfortunately, took their notoriety for failing to do a thorough job of screening ministerial nominees, to a whole new level when it committed the greatest travesty by refusing to ask her anything about her academic qualifications, including the controversy surrounding her NYSC Certificate.
She was simply asked to take a bow and go despite knowing fully well what was at stake. Section 13 of the NYSC 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 for conviction to a fine of N4,000 or face imprisonment for a term of two years or both. But Hannatu continues till this day as the minister unperturbed because of the backing she gets from both the presidency and the senate. In an attempt to quell the dissenting voices attacking her for failing to undergo the mandatory NYSC, Hannatu through the back door, approached the senate to retrieve her college certificates, leaving only her secondary school certificate as her only qualification. That way, no one will accuse a ‘non graduate’ of not observing the mandatory NYSC. But whether she will survive this onslaught is a matter for another day as several individuals have taken it upon themselves to do the job the senate refused to do – to ensure she doesn’t get away with flouting the rule.
While some lawyers have attempted to bend the law by arguing that the Nigerian constitution which backs her appointment as a minister, is superior to the NYSC Act, following the revelation by NYSC’s Director of Press and Public Relations that the minister is a serving corps member, not a few are hell bent on ensuring she pays for her crime and have even gone further to institute a case against her. The 43-year-old lawyer, politician and author, is a graduate of the University of Buckingham, United Kingdom; and holds a Master’s degree in the Legal Aspects of Marine Affairs from the University of Cardiff, Wales; and Oil and Gas Law from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. She is also a qualified solicitor in England and Wales, UK; and a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Musawa is currently completing a doctorate, which she has been doing part-time.
Ivory Ukonu is a versatile journalist with many years of experience, with entertainment and society reporting as her area of core competence.
