Dipo Olowookere
By Dipo Olowookere
One of the foremost groups in Nigeria, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has threatened to take a legal action against Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, if she fails to speak on the authenticity of her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) exemption certificate.
Exactly three weeks ago, Premium Times published a report alleging that the Minister forged her NYSC exemption certificate.
After the report, the management of the corps said it was investigating if the certificate was forged or not.
However, it confirmed that Mrs Adeosun did applied for the certificate, but failed to state if the request was granted or not.
Mrs Adeosun graduated from a United Kingdom institution in 1989 at the age of 22 and normally, she should have returned to Nigeria for the mandatory one-year NYSC, but she did not.
It was reported that the NYSC exemption certificate with the Finance Minister was issued in September 2009, granting her exemption from the mandatory service on account of age.
But Business Post gathered from reports that Mrs Adeosun’s certificate was dated September 9, 2009, and was purportedly signed by the former director-general of NYSC, Mr Yusuf Bomoi, who stepped down from the corps in January 2009.
Going by the NYSC law, section 13, eligible Nigerians who skipped the service are liable to be sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and/or N2,000 fine.
Section 13 (3) of the law also prescribes three-year jail term or option of N5,000 fine for anyone who contravenes provision of the law.
In a tweet on Friday night, SERAP warned that if the Minister continues to remain silent on the issue, it would be forced to drag her to court.
“Dear @HMKemiAdeosun It’s 20 days since reports of alleged NYSC certificate forgery, and 13 days since we asked you to clear the air on the matter.
“This is failure to take responsibility, and we’ll take legal action in the public interest if you continue to refuse to speak up,” SERAP said yesterday via its Twitter account.
In another Twitter post on Saturday night, the organisation said, “Considering allegations of certificate forgery against @HMKemiAdeosun and Sen Adeleke, Osun state PDP, should @AsoRock immediately begin a nationwide verification of academic credentials of senior govt officials & members of the @nassnigeria.”
About 13 days ago, SERAP had in a statement warned “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.”
In the statement issued by its deputy director, Mr Timothy Adewale, the group had stressed that, “Clarifying the allegations of certificate forgery would show a commitment to doing the right thing, and a natural disposition toward openness,” noting that, “The continuing failure and/or refusal to speak to Nigerians on these allegations amounts to a betrayal of public trust.”
