General
Certificate Saga: Adeosun’s Silence Very Dangerous—SERAP
By Dipo Olowookere
Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, has been urged to “without further delay show responsibility and clear the air over the damaging certificate forgery allegations against her and settle the facts of the case once and for all.”
This appeal was made by a popular group known as the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
In a statement issued on Sunday by SERAP’s deputy director, Mr Timothy Adewale, the group warned that, “Suspicions of certificate forgery involving a senior member of the government if not urgently and satisfactorily addressed would weaken public trust in the government’s oft-expressed commitment to transparency and accountability.”
Several days after being accused of forging her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) exemption certificate, Mrs Adeosun is yet to make any official statement in reaction to the alleged scandal.
But Mr Adewale emphasised that, “Clarifying the allegations of certificate forgery would show a commitment to doing the right thing, and a natural disposition toward openness.”
He warned further that, “The continuing failure and/or refusal to speak to Nigerians on these allegations amounts to a betrayal of public trust.”
According to him, “If she can show the courage to clear the air on the allegations, Mrs Adeosun can be a strong promoter of the values of transparency and accountability, something which the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has regularly expressed commitment to embrace and achieve.”
SERAP stressed that, “The failure to address the allegations may create public anger and lead to accusation of cover-up. The public can become passive and cynical if it believes that people in position of public trust are out for themselves. It is the core responsibility of any senior public official to prevent that cynicism.”
According to the organization, “When those in position of public trust refuse to speak up on allegations bordering on certificate forgery, it invariably creates a psychological climate, a moral culture in which citizens are more likely to embrace illegal actions and choose to undertake them.”
Mrs Adeosun, who was born in England in 1967, pursued all her education career in the country, which colonised Nigeria, and graduated in 1989 at the age of 22 from the Polytechnic of East London, now University of East London.
Having graduated before the age of 30, she was by the provisions of the NYSC Act supposed to undergo a mandatory service year for her to qualify for any position, be it in public or private sector in Nigeria.
Mrs Adeosun reportedly obtained the certificate in question 20 years after her graduation in September 2009. The certificate, according to reports, was purportedly signed by a late Director General of the scheme, Mr Yusuf Bomoi, who was said to have retired from service eight months earlier than the date the minster obtained the document.
The management of NYSC admitted that the Minister had actually applied for an Exemption Certificate but was not specific whether Mrs Adeosun had been issued the certificate.
In a statement signed by the Director, Press and Publications Relations, Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, the scheme said it would investigate the origin of the purported Exemption Certificate in question.
Also, the Minister of Youths and Sports, Mr Solomon Dalung, had summoned the Director General of NYSC, Brigadier General Suleiman Kazaure, to obtain first-hand information from the DG on what transpired and how far the scheme had gone with the investigation.
Mr Dalung promised that as soon as he was done getting the brief from the NYSC boss, he would brief Nigerians on the matter
Eligible Nigerians who skipped the service are liable to be sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and/or N2,000 fine, according to Section 13 of the NYSC Act. Section 13 (3) of the Act also prescribes three-year jail term or option of N5,000 fine for anyone who contravenes provision of the law.
Subsection 4 of the same section also criminalises giving false information or illegally obtaining the agency’s certificate. It provides for up to three-year jail term for such offenders.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The chief executive of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mr Mele Kyari, has disclosed that his organisation remitted about N10 trillion into the purse of the federation last year.
Speaking on Wednesday during a presentation on NNPC Limited’s 2024 revenue performance and 2025 projections to the National Assembly’s joint committee on Finance, Mr Kyari the NNPC was the highest taxpayer in the country in 2024 with the N10 trillion paid to the nation, claiming the state-oil company remains the only in Nigeria to publish 100 per cent of its account statements annually.
The NNPC boss also called for a forensic audit of the funds spent by the company on fuel price stabilization and ensuring uninterrupted petrol supply between January and September 2024.
“Until October 1, 2024, NNPCL, as mandated by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), acted as the supplier of last resort for fuel supply,” he boasted.
“A forensic audit is needed to determine the financial obligations of NNPCL and any owed entities. Our transactional accounts are transparent and published annually, reinforcing our status as the top taxpayer and the highest contributor of royalties and dividends,” the NNPC chief added.
Regarding the company’s 2025 revenue projections, Mr Kyari indicated that a definitive figure would be provided after the upcoming board of directors meeting in two weeks, assuring the committee that the parameters for the 2025 budget were both realistic and achievable.
Recall that last year, the NNPC claimed that the 125,000 barrels per day Warri Refinery was operating at 60 per cent capacity and will focus on producing and storing critical products, including Straight Run Kerosene (SRK), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and heavy and light Naphtha. after the first 110 barrels per day refinery in Port Harcourt was operational.
The NNPC also noted that Kaduna Refinery and the 150,000 barrels per day second refinery in Port Harcourt will consolidate Nigeria’s position as a global energy provider.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Boko Haram must put an end to its vicious killing spree in the northern part of Nigeria, the Amnesty International (AI) has declared.
In a statement to condemn the killing of more than 40 civilians by the terrorist group, AI said Boko Haram must be held to account for its years of atrocities, including war crimes in the country.
On Sunday, January 12, 2025, members of the terror organisation attacked the victims on farming communities in Borno State, killing the inhabitants at close range.
In the statement, AI condemned in strong terms “the executions of these civilians which, once again, shows Boko Haram’s utter disregard for the sanctity of human life and for rules of international humanitarian law.”
“Boko Haram must be held to account for its years of atrocities, including war crimes,” the organisation declared in the statement.
“Our findings show that Boko Haram rounded up the farmers and fishermen, separated the men and shot them at close range.
“Those who attempted to flee were pursued and killed while dozens more were injured. A search for dead bodies is still ongoing while a mass burial is being planned for those killed.
“As well as killings targeting civilians, Boko Haram continues to abduct women and girls and extensively loot property.
“The fact that such atrocities remain commonplace shows that more needs to be done to protect civilians and ensure that families of victims receive reparation and justice,” it stated.
Over the weekend, Boko Haram fighters executed over 40 farmers and fishermen at Dumba community near Baga Borno state northeast.
A resident of Baga told AI that dozens of people have been injured and many are missing. Those killed have been buried.
Since 2020, Boko Haram has been targeting farmers and farmers around the Lake Chad. The armed conflict in northeast Nigeria has been ongoing since at least 2011 and it has created a humanitarian crisis, with more than 2 million people displaced, according to the United Nations.
Amnesty International has repeatedly documented crimes under international law and other serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law committed by both Boko Haram and the Nigerian military in the context of the conflict in northeast Nigeria.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The United States government has renovated the laboratory of the Nigerian National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Lagos as part of continued efforts to boost Nigeria’s counter-narcotics efforts.
The US government, through the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), handed over the facility to the agency to complement efforts.
This follows the investment of approximately $500,000 by the American government to modernize and equip the chemical forensic laboratory at the NDLEA zonal office in Lagos in 2024.
The upgraded laboratory, now equipped with cutting-edge technology, enhances the NDLEA’s capacity to analyse suspicious substances and process evidence from crime scenes and suspects.
Acting US Consul General, Ms JoEllen Gorg formally handed over the keys to the new office space to NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Mohammed Buba Marwa, during a ceremony attended by representatives from AFRICOM and the DEA.
Acting Consul General Gorg noted that the donation of a new office, equipped with a solar power system, represents a significant step forward in US-Nigeria security cooperation.
She noted that the new facility will provide NDLEA officers with a secure and professional environment to carry out critical investigative functions, including processing detainees and conducting post-arrest interviews.
“The U.S.-Nigeria security partnership remains strong. This donation is the latest example of the robust and productive cooperation between the U.S. government and the NDLEA,” the Acting Consul General said.
“Over the years, our joint efforts have helped build the capacity of Nigerian authorities to disrupt drug trafficking networks, dismantle clandestine meth labs, and conduct advanced forensic analyses of synthetic drugs,” she added.
On his part, NDLEA Chairman/CEO Marwa lauded the US-Nigeria security cooperation in the fight against illicit drugs and countering narcotics trafficking.
He described the US as a steadfast ally in Nigeria’s fight against drug-related crimes and noted that the collaboration has significantly enhanced the NDLEA’s operational efficiency.
Since the establishment of the NDLEA in 1990, the US Mission to Nigeria has partnered with the agency to combat narcotics trafficking which it has done through training in intelligence, evidence collection, management, and tactical skills, including equipment donation.
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