Kemi Adeosun, former Minister of Finance, on Friday, December 2, described her decision to quit from the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet in 2018 amid the NYSC certificate controversy as the most prudent decision.
Adeosun, speaking on Channels Television’s Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, revealed that she made a “principled decision” to defend the integrity of public office rather than admitting guilt.
According to Adeosun, the decision to resign was motivated by the need to protect the Office of the Minister of Finance from distractions, particularly while she was pursuing the matter in court.
THE BACKGROUND?
Premium Times, an online news portal, reported in April 2018 that Kemi Adeosun, Nigeria’s Finance Minister, allegedly skipped the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and used a forged certificate to cover it up.
NYSC REACTION?
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) broke its silence on Monday, July 9, 2018, on the controversy surrounding the authenticity of the Exemption Certificate presented by Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun.
In a statement made by NYSC, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, Director of Press and Public Relations, stated that available documents show Mrs. Adeosun applied for an Exemption certificate.
The statement reads:
“Our attention has been drawn to the issue of the alleged forgery of an NYSC Exemption Certificate by the Honorable Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun.
“Checking our records, Mrs. Adeosun did apply for an Exemption Certificate.”
Adeyemi further said that an investigation will be launched to ascertain the origin of the exemption certificate in question.
“We shall investigate the origin of the purported exemption certificate in question,” Adeyemi added.
BUHARI’S RESPONSE
President Muhammadu Buhari, now deceased, encouraged Kemi Adeosun to prioritize protecting her reputation during the NYSC scandal.
The advice was given by the late President Buhari when Kemi Adeosun approached him to inform him of her resignation.
She stated that Buhari assured her, “I fully support you.” Because these names are leased to our children and grandchildren, correct? They will inherit them. And then you trash your reputation because you want to keep your position as minister. “For what?”
THE RESIGNATION?
Kemi Adeosun resigned as Nigeria’s Finance Minister in September 2018, following claims that she falsified her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) exemption certificate.
The Ogun-born finance guru argued that the NYSC certificate was legitimate, having been provided during her screening as Ogun State Commissioner for Finance in 2011 and ministerial clearance in 2015.
In her resignation letter, Adeosun stated that she was “totally committed to a culture of probity and accountability” and decided to stand down after an investigation revealed that the NYSC certificate was not authentic.
She maintained that she had no reason to assume the certificate was forged, attributing the problem to “trusted associates” who advised her.
Adeosun later explained that her departure was a principled move, not an admission of guilt, to safeguard the Office of the Finance Minister, defend her image, and allow her to clear her name through legal channels.
COURT’S RULING?
Despite the fact that Kemi Adeosun lacked a NYSC certificate, the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that her appointment as Minister of Finance was not illegal or unconstitutional.
The court ruled that the 1979 Constitution, in existence at the time of her graduation, did not recognize dual citizenship, rendering her ineligible for the NYSC program.
She was already above the age of 30 when her Nigerian citizenship was restored under a later constitution, making her ineligible for the scheme.