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BBC Pidgin of Sunday, 27 August 2023

Source: BBC

'Yes I dey serve but I no break any law' - Nigeria minister confam say she still dey do her NYSC

Nigeria Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy Hannatu Musawa and President Bola Tinubu Nigeria Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy Hannatu Musawa and President Bola Tinubu

Nigeria Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy Hannatu Musawa don come out to respond to di tori wey say she currently dey undergo her national youth service.

Madam Hannatu for statement admit say she dey currently do her national service and she don dey do am for eight months now.

She argue say even at dat, she no break any law.

Ova di last couple of days reports wey say di Minister currently be serving member of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) - wey be compulsory one-year service by graduates of Nigeria tertiary institutions - don hug headlines for di kontri.

To collect appointment while pesin dey serve dey against di NYSC act.

But afta days of silence, di minister argue say she "no break any law or constitution of di Federal Republic of Nigeria".

"Na true say I currently dey do my NYSC national service wey I begin 8 months ago... as I bin dey unable to complete am for 2001," Hannatu tok inside statement.

"I start di mandatory national service as a Corp member wey dem deploy to Akwa Ibom for 2001 afta I complete my university education.

"I bin no fit complete di service di same year afta my redployment to Kaduna State due to family obligation. Despite dis, e don be my personal resolve and commitment to always fulfil dis national duty whenever I get di opportunity to do so".

Meanwhile ogbonge Nigeria lawyer and senior advocate, Femi Falana, say according to Nigeria law, anybody wey no serve no get any business wit to dey do minister work right now.

To understand dis mata Falana say di first tin na to torchlight wetin di Nigeria constitution tok about di compulsory one year National Youth Service.

Section 2 of di National Youth Service Act say every citizen wey graduate from any higher institution weda inside or outside di kontri, and wey neva reach 30 years must to serve di father land.

But e also add say if pesin don pass 30 years e no qualify to do national youth service. Diafore im must to collect certificate of exemption.

Di question wey dis mata raise come be say, madam Hannatu Musawa don reach 30 years abi she don pass 30 years.

Youth service for Nigeria suppose be very serious mata wey fit land pesin go chill for prison for 12 months wit fine of N20,000 or any one of di two.

Di oda mata na qualification for minister.

Oga Falana say, “pesin wey di law no qualify to be lawmaker also no qualify to be minister. Di Constitution be like e set di same qualification and disqualification for di two office.”

Section 147(6) of di Nigeria Constitution add say goment no fit to appoint anybody minister unless im qualify for election as member of di House of Representative.

Dis section of di law add say pesin wey no do national youth service no dey qualify to be member of house of representatives.

Falana make dis point wit example of di case wia Supreme Court decide say na so di law tok am for di case of Modibo vs Usman & Ors (2019)LPELR-59096(SC).

From wetin di SAN tok and if na true say madama Musawa still dey serve e mean say Nigeria goment no follow di law in her appointment.

Since her appointment di young minster don dey on di negative side of news.

Few weeks ago, Nigerians drag her afta video wey go viral show as as she dey abuse di Nigeria naira note, sometin wey be offence wey fit land pesin for prison for di kontri.

But authorities never take any actions for her "abuse" of di naira.

We still dey update dis tori