OSAS EMMANUEL
As controversy continues to trail the appointment of the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu musawa, following the allegation that she is currently serving the one year mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the right group, Concerned Nigerians has dragged the Federal Government and the Minister to court.
In a statement signed by the Convener of Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, said that according to the Supreme Court ruling, Musawa being corps member and a card carrying member of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), is not competent to contest any election in Nigeria and or engage in partisan politics.
“We wish to inform members of the general public and concerned nigeria that the trio of veteran activists, in Deji Adeyanju through civil rights groups CONCERNED NIGERIANS and Chief patrick eholor has instituted a law suit challenging the illegality of the appointment of Hannatu Musawa as a federal minister.
“The law suit instituted by Comrade Deji Adeyanju and Chief Dr Patrick Osagie Eholor against Mrs Hanatu Musawa over her appointment as federal minister while she is still a current corps member, even when her alleged membership of the All Progress congress is so clear to everyone.
“The law suit, filed at Abuja division of the Federal High Court, in suit No FHC/ABJ/CS /1198/2023, has the President of Nigeria, Attorney General of the Federation, and Hannatu Musawa as parties and was filed by Abuja based Human Rights lawyer, Samuel Ihensekhien Jnr on behalf of Deji Adeyanju and Chief, Patrick Eholor.”
Speaking on the case, Barrister Samuel Ihensekhien said: Is so obvious that Hannatu Musawa being a serving corps member is appointed as federal minister of Nigeria.
“It is now so crystal clear from the authoritative pronouncements of the Supreme Court in the case of Modibbo v Usman decided in 2019, that a youth corps member is not competent to contest any election in Nigeria and or engaged in partisan politics like Hanatu Musawa in this case.
“In the same vein, a person just like Hanatu now a federal minister of Nigeria who has not completed the compulsory one year youth service is not competent to be appointed as Minister in Nigeria since the Constitution has prescribed the same qualifications and disqualifications for election into the House of Representatives and appointment into the post of a Minister.”
According to Adeyanju, the suit is seeking five distinct reliefs and other ancillary/mandatory consequential injunctions in this regard.
NYSC Director of Press and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, had admitted that the minister has been serving for the past eight months in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Mr Megwa explained that it was a breach of the NYSC Act for any corps member to pick up a government appointment until the one year of service was over.
