President Muhammadu Buhari has accepted the resignation of the embattled Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun as the Minister of Finance. The resignation is not be unconnected with the allegation of forgery of NYSC exemption certificate by an online newspaper.
In November 2015, Adeosun was appointed Nigeria’s Minister of Finance by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The story has been out there that Adeosun forged her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.
Although she was above 30 when she returned to Nigeria, she was not qualified to obtain an exemption because she got her first degree when she was in her 20s.
The fake exemption certificate that she obtained through a third party was what caused her fall.
Mrs. Adeosun blamed those she called ‘trusted associates’, who helped to arrange the ‘exemption certificate’ that came back to haunt her many years after. In a letter of resignation to Mr. President, the former Minister said she did not relocate to Nigeria until she was 34 years old, four years older than the 30-year limit for participation by corps members.
“I obtained my first Nigerian passport at the age of thirty-four (34) and when I relocated there was debate as to whether NYSC Law applied to me. Upon enquiry as to my status relating to NYSC, I was informed that due to my residency history and having exceeded the age of thirty (30), I was exempted from the requirement to serve. Until recent events, that remained my understanding.
“On the basis of that advice and with the guidance and assistance of those, I thought were trusted associates, NYSC were approached for documentary proof of status. I then received the certificate in question. Having never worked in NYSC, visited the premises, been privy to nor familiar with their operations, I had no reason to suspect that the certificate was anything but genuine.”
Her letter also revealed that she took the decision to resign after an internal investigation ordered by President Buhari declared the exemption certificate as fake.
