Mohammed said the President’s image has not been dented in anyway by the allegation of certificate forgery levelled against Adeosun.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has given some reasons why President Buhari cannot fire the minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun now.
The minister said this on Monday, August 6, 2018, while on an official visit to the Abuja office of The Authority Newspaper, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
According to him, the president’s image has not been dented in anyway by the allegation of certificate forgery levelled against Adeosun.
In July 2018, Premium Times alleged that Adeosun failed to participate in the mandatory NYSC scheme after completing her university education in London.
The report also revealed the minister’s certificate of exemption, dated September 9, 2009, was signed by Yusuf Bomoi, a former Director-General of the corps, who had stepped down from the NYSC eight months earlier in January.
NYSC says minister applied for exemption certificate
The NYSC, in its response on Monday, July 9, 2018, said that Adeosun applied for an exemption certificate, and promised to look into the matter thoroughly.
The statement issued by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Adeyemi Adenike, reads: “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.”
Here are the reasons Lai Mohammed gave:
1. The allegations have not been proven
The minister said “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.”
2. Investigation is ongoing
According to Mohammed, calling for Adeosun’s sack while an investigation is ongoing, is not workable.
“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 PDP.
“People even made the allegation that President Buhari did not have certificate,” he added.
3. Fake news
The minister of information and culture also said “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.
ALSO READ: What the law says about skipping NYSC
“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."
4. Buhari might be usurping powers
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), “The minister insisted that the president will be usurping the powers of the investigating agencies if he sacked Adeosun before their reports.”
A cross section of Nigerians and civil society organisations have called on the minister of finance to respond to the allegations levelled against her.
Notable among them is the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
SERAP recently urged Kemi Adeosun to respond to the certificate forgery allegations levelled against her and settle the facts of the case once and for all.
Kemi Adeosun was recently elected to head the board of African Export-Import Bank despite the certificate forgery allegations.