“How I Served As Commissioner, Minister Without NYSC Certificate": Buhari’s Ally Makes Shocking Revelation

• Former minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu has reacted to the controversial NYSC certificate saga involving Hannatu Musawa, minister of arts, culture, and creative economy
• In a recent interview, Shittu disclosed Musawa has no case to answer, adding that the matter is irrelevant
• The politician argued that the 1999 constitution did not make it mandatory for anyone to hold public office with an NYSC discharge certificate

Adebayo Shittu, the former minister of communication, has weighed in on the disquiet over the appointment of Hannatu Musawa as minister without a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.

Musawa has been in the news since she was appointed minister of arts, culture, and creative economy by President Bola Tinubu.

In an interview with Daily Trust, on Saturday, September 2, he revealed that those dissipating energy over the matter lack knowledge of the law.

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The former minister who laughed over the NYSC scandal said,

"As far as I’m concerned, that is not even an issue.

"We are guided in this country by the 1999 Constitution.

"The 1999 Constitution did not make it mandatory that for anybody to hold public office, he/she must have NYSC discharge certificate."

The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain recalled he served in government, as a lawmaker in 1979, as soon he finished law school.

He said,

"In 1979, I contested election into the Oyo State House of Assembly; I was coming directly from law school when I contested."

"Let me say this, I didn’t serve. I went to do higher service in the Oyo State House of Assembly and my opponent, who I defeated from NPN, took me to court but the court threw out his case. He said the court should invalidate my victory because I didn’t do national service.

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"Even though I was just coming out of Law school; and the court asked, where in the 1979 Constitution is there a provision that to contest election into the House of Assembly or any other political posts, you must have NYSC discharge certificate?

"By the time I finished my service in the House of Assembly, I was already 30 and I also automatically got appointed as honourable commissioner for Home Affairs, information and culture. That was in 1983, I was 30 by then.

"My reaction was that it was an irrelevant issue. The president needed her at a higher level than the NYSC level and so be it. It was the president’s decision; the woman did not appoint herself as minister."

Hannatu Musawa: Tinubu's culture minister disowns statement on NYSC status; updated

Musawa earlier dissociated herself from a statement purportedly released by her regarding the controversy surrounding her NYSC status.

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The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) had earlier opposed her appointment.

Can NYSC members serve as ministers? Lawyers react

Meanwhile, senior lawyers have weighed in on the constitutionality of the appointment of Musawa as minister of arts, culture, and creative economy by Tinubu.

While some lawyers said the Nigerian Constitution supports her appointment, others disagreed.

Musawa was among the 45 new ministers cleared by the Senate recently and sworn in by President Tinubu.

Source: Legit.ng