Adeosun alleged certificate forgery under investigation, says Presidency

Weeks after Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, was accused of forging her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate, the Presidency has reacted to the allegation.

While appearing on a TV programme on Monday, Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, said the matter is being investigated, assuring Nigerians that the outcome of the investigation would be made public.

According to him the minister of information has spoken on the matter and a process is ongoing to address the allegations.  “Some people want a particular outcome and because they are yet to see this outcome, they are not happy. Give it (investigation) time. There is a process ongoing.

“It’s an allegation. If it is proven, you will see what will happen. The minister and the NYSC have spoken on the matter,” he added.

Asked on the length of time the ‘investigation’ would take, Shehu said: “It is not for me to decide (the duration). I don’t have the full facts of the matter, so why the investigation is not out, I don’t know. I hope there will be an early outcome

“Don’t forget, these people, whose names are being dragged in the mud have families and relatives. We hope their innocence will be established,” he said.

The Presidential spokesman, however, failed to disclose which agency was investigating the matter as the Police had earlier said the Force would only investigate the forgery allegation if it was reported at the station.

Recall that an online platform had released documents alleging that the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun forged an exemption National Youth Service Certificate (NYSC) having failed to attend the one year mandatory youth service.

The documents include copies of her curriculum vitae, her high school GCE results, her university degree and post graduate diploma, her purported NYSC exemption certificate, Income Tax Clearance Certificate for Tax Year 2015 and certificates of membership of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Of the documents, the only one that has become controversial so far is the NYSC exemption ‘certificate’, which was purportedly issued on September 7, 2009.

This newspaper was able to determine that, based on its enabling law, the NYSC does not issue exemption certificate to anyone who, like the minister, graduates before turning 30. Born on March 9, 1967, Mrs. Adeosun graduated July 11, 1989 at 22.

Mrs. Adeosun’s ‘certificate’ is dated September 9, 2009, and was purportedly signed by Yusuf Bomoi, a former director-general of the corps.

Officials said Mr. Bomoi stepped down from the NYSC in January 2009, and could not have signed any certificate for the corps eight months after. The retired brigadier general passed on in September 2017.