The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Monday in Abuja defended President Muhammadu Buhari for inaction on the allegation of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) exemption certificate forgery against the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, which the Minister has not even refuted, herself. Nigerians had expected immediate action of stepping aside by the Minster or suspension from office by the President but the All Progressives congress (APC) still carry on as if a case of perjury means nothing to the party government.
National Daily gathered that Lai Mohammed on Monday maintained that President Muhammadu Buhari still has unblemished integrity.
The minister, however, noted that the allegation is still being investigated, and Mr. President was only waiting the conclusion before taking any decision.
He insisted that the appropriate agencies are still investigating the allegation against the Minister and the president does not want to interfere with the investigations; so, they should be allowed to do their jobs.
Lai Mohammed explained that Buhari would be usurping the powers of the investigating agencies if he sacked Adeosun before their report is submitted.
The minister had declared; “Until when an allegation is proven, you do not expect the President to act.
“The appropriate agencies have spoken and they say they are investigating. The only thing we can do is to wait.
“By saying that the minister should resign or be sacked while investigation is still ongoing may also not be feasible in our clime because of the level of false accusations.
“How many times have they accused me of embezzlement? Even recently, they said my driver jumped out of the car, abandoned me and decamped to Peoples Democratic Party.
“People even made the allegation that President Buhari did not have certificate.’’
The minister further remarked; “For instance, people have come to me that so and so TV and Radio stations are spreading fake news and I should shut them down.
“I told them that I do not have the power to do so; it is the responsibility of the National Broadcasting Commission, even though it is an agency under my watch.
“We are as concerned as you are; but having spent some time in government, you will see that a lot of lies are being peddled about us.”
Lai Mohammed assured that the government would not sweep the matter under the carpet.
It will be recalled that in 1999, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Right Honourable Salisu Buhari, was involved in similar certificate forgery scandal; he did not wait for the kind of investigation Lai Mohammed is selling to the public before he resigned at the intervention of President Olusegun Obasanjo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Buhari did not only resign as Speaker of the house, he voluntarily vacated the House of Representatives, then, quitted partisan politics. Now, APC government is giving Nigerians excuses why the case of NYSC exemption certificate forgery allegation should be tolerated by a president said to be fighting corruption on the altar of due process.