Forgery: Kemi Adeosun Resigns As Nigeria’s Finance Minister

Nigeria’s Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has resigned her position in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet, reports say. No reason has been given for her decision to step down from office.

*Kemi Adeosun 

 It is, however, believed that the resignation may not be unconnected with the controversy that has engulfed her National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) exemption certificate which an online medium, Premium Times, had alleged was forged. 

It is mandatory for Nigerians who graduate from the university before attaining the age of 30 to offer themselves for a one year national service. They could be posted to any part of the country.

Mr. Adeosun who was born in 1967 had graduated from the Polytechnic of East London in 1989 at the age of 22. For her to qualify to obtain a job in Nigeria, it was compulsory for to undergo the year-long national service.

But she had worked in various establishments in the UK before returning to Nigeria. She reportedly procured a forged exemption certificate in 2009. Her certificate dated September 9, 2009 was signed by Brigadier-General Yusuf Bomoi who left the service of the NYSC in January 2009, and eventually passed away in September 2017. He could not, therefore, have signed Adeosun’s certificate several months after leaving office.

The law establishing the NYSC scheme stipulates that anyone who had graduated before 30 is not entitled to an exemption certificate even if he or she reaches 30 years without performing the service.

Since the Premium Times story which provoked national outrage, Mrs. Adeosun had refused to respond to widespread demands for her to defend herself against the grave allegation for which she could be prosecuted.

Calls for her removal from office and prosecution for forgery have equally provoked no reaction from the Presidency.

With her resignation today, it would appear that the Presidency has finally bowed to pressure to ease her out. An analyst believes that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may be taking the present action in order to avoid allowing it to become a key campaign issue in the run up to the 2019 elections.  

It, however, remains to be seen if the Federal authorities would go the whole hog and have her prosecuted for forgery as many scandalized Nigerians are demanding.