NYSC: Minister Hannatu did not break any law (Onoh)

Former spokesperson for President Bola Tinubu's presidential campaign, Dr. Josef Onoh, has risen to defend the new Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, against the recent attacks on her for being appointed Minister-in-Office without concluding her National Youth mandate. Service Corps (NYSC).

Human rights lawyers such as Femi Falana had raised the alarm that Hannatu was still serving at the NYSC while he was appointed minister, but Onoh said that what Hannatu critics are doing is just slander.

According to Onoh, Hanatu did not break any law by agreeing to serve as a minister during his year in service, revealing that the constitution is clear on what the NYSC can do, which he says is nonsense. remobilize at any time in the future if she flees from service.

“Now that she is a minister under public scrutiny, regardless of whether or not she wrote to the NYSC about her nomination, what the program can do is void her year of service; and thus, each time she has finished her term as minister, she can return for remobilization.

“She has already been appointed minister even if it is assumed that she is still in office and the most the NYSC can do is not issue her a certificate at the end of her year of service. By agreeing to be a minister, she indirectly agreed to be remobilized at any time in the future.

“She presented no certificate from the NYSC and was not charged with failing to meet the constitutional requirements to be a minister. In fact, it is high time that all political office holders simply stick to the minimum requirements laid down in the Constitution to put an end to all this academic and certificate drama that Nigerians are obsessed with.

“Nigerians have placed the glorification of certificates and bogus qualifications above service delivery, above competence, above advancement. The majority of our foreign entrepreneurs do not have false qualifications but have the same experience and today they are in our country and control our doctorate. incumbents who speak only good English but lack technical experience.

“So the hubbub of accusing our DSS of failing to conduct a proper review of her is also not a constitutional requirement. However, in some cases, the DSS screens and issues security reports and advice on persons of interest in a discreet and professional manner. It is at the discretion of the President whether or not to heed the advice. Therefore, we must continue to commend the DSS and all other security personnel in our country for their sacrifices and not attempt to smear their efforts by trying to achieve cheap political ends. If a Nigerian thinks his job is easy, don't be a coward, be brave enough to sign up.

“Opposition elements disgruntled against Hannatu can go to court, not the media, trying to score cheap political points on a non-issue.

"As for the NYSC, the only time Hanatu will have a problem with her is if at the end of the current term of service she was enrolled in runs out and she shows up to claim a certificate. release while she was a minister. If, at the end of her ministerial mandate, she no longer has any other vocation, she can submit a new request for remobilization.

“Obviously, this is a case of a person crying more than the bereaved. It was she who lost the number of months she had already accumulated. She is not resigning because she has not violated any known section of the law.

"We served in the same leadership of the CCP, she was our deputy spokesperson and we never found her deficient, which is why I will continue to defend her against those who want to tarnish her image, because when we were all in the presidential campaign, none of the interlocutors raised any objections as she struggled to climb the current ranks.

“Those who speak are not accusing the President of appointing an incompetent person because they know that she is competent enough to serve as Minister of Tourism and that no iota that could tarnish her image will be tolerated, just as she will not associate herself with problems with quacks. and if anyone feels they have done something wrong, they should go to court,” Onoh said.