News

NYSC defends Adeosun over certificate forgery

Published

8 years ago

July 9, 2018

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) says Kemi Adeosun, minister of finance, did apply for exemption certificate from the scheme, promising to investigate circumstances surrounding the allegations of forgery.

An online new platform had at the weekend alleged that the finance minister allegedly forged the exemption certificate of the scheme.

Adeosun’s official credentials reportedly showed that she parades a purported fake NYSC exemption certificate, which was issued in September 2009, granting her exemption from the mandatory national service on account of age.

However in a release on Monday signed by Adeyemi Adenike, the NYSC said: “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. We shall investigate the origin of the purported Exemption Certificate in question.”

Recall that the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, had challenged the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun to resign if she cannot respond to the allegation of certificate forgery leveled against her.

In a statement by its Executive Chairman, Debo Adeniran and sent to National Daily, CACOL requested Adeosun to respond to the allegations of certificate forgery leveled against her or throw in the towel.

Adeniran said the scandal in which Mrs. Adeosun is presently enmeshed is a vindication of CACOL’s position taken as far back as 2015 that she was not morally upright to hold public office based on her past.

“We recollect that this scandal- which was first broken by Premium Times Online Newspaper-had resulted in the Finance Minister becoming vulnerable to blackmail from members of the National Assembly.

“She was reported to have approved fictitious budget heads on several occasions and actually authorized the disbursement of huge sums of money that were not approved by President Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly. If this is found to be true, it is not only a criminal but a clear violation of fiscal discipline and accountability.

“Our current situation as a nation demands that public officers serving the current government should be seen to be above board in implementing the administration’s Change agenda. Public officers are also compulsorily required to demonstrate transparency, responsibility and accountability in steering the ship of state.”