Nigeria’s ruling Party pays tribute to Kemi Adeosun

By Bashir Adefaka

“The news that the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) exemption certificate tendered by the former finance minister was not genuine have been well-reported in the media. Like all responsive and responsible governments concerned about the truth and due process, the federal government undertook diligent investigation of the allegation. Now that the report of the investigation is out, the right thing has been done. The honorable minister has taken the path of honour and resigned. We congratulate Mrs. Adeosun for her action.”

In an unprecedented measure, the Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken time out to commend the gallantry-at-service displaced by one of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministers, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, who resigned from the cabinet on Friday on account of questionable document regarding National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) exemption of service certificate.

In a Sunday’s statement reacting to the development, the ruling APC noted with candour that the former minister has occupied a high place of fame in the history of Nigeria for doing the honourable thing it noted never happened in the past administrations of now louder Peoples Democratic Party politicians.

In the statement titled, “Kemi Adeosun: Salute to Honour and Integrity”, by its Acting National Publicity Secretary Yekini Nabena, the All Progressives Congress said the resignation of Mrs. Kemi Adeosun as Minister of Finance and acceptance of same by President Muhammadu Buhari were actions of honour, strength of character and integrity.

The statement continued: “The news that the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) exemption certificate tendered by the former finance minister was not genuine have been well-reported in the media.

“Like all responsive and responsible governments concerned about the truth and due process, the federal government undertook diligent investigation of the allegation. Now that the report of the investigation is out, the right thing has been done. The honorable minister has taken the path of honour and resigned. We congratulate Mrs. Adeosun for her action.

“In President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration of integrity and transparency in the conduct of public affairs, no officer of government with a modicum of questionable conduct or integrity should stay in office.

“In past PDP-led administrations, the country was held down by corrupt and irresponsible public officers who refused to honour invitations of the National Assembly; closed down national airports against perceived political adversaries; bought luxurious bullet-proof vehicles with public funds at inflated prices; locked out National Assembly members, forcing federal lawmakers to climb high barricades in order to assess the legislative chamber.

“It was these acts of corruption, impunity, irresponsibility and executive rascality that made Nigerians vote in the President Buhari administration in 2015, with its Change mantra to put a stop to such undemocratic practices.

“We wish Mrs. Adeosun every success in her future endeavors and join President Buhari in appreciating her immense contributions to the stability of the Nigerian economy in the past three and half years.”

Adeosun resigned her appointment as the country’s Minister of Finance, on Friday, following an issue bothering on authenticity of National Youth Services Corp (NYSC) exemption of service certificate, issued to her by the Youth Corp after she duly applied for it some years ago.

Having spent all years of her life in the United Kingdom that is her country of birth, with all her education from elementary to the university up to the start of her working career, Adeosun had no reason to bother about an NYSC discharge certificate.

However, at 34 when she responded to call to serve her father land as Commissioner for Finance in Ogun State, she made formal application because the system that operates in Nigeria made her realise that she could not take up the service to her father land without an NYSC discharge or exemption of service certificate being a university graduate.

In explaining she said a third party eventually collected the certificate for her and that she had presented same to Ogun State House and National Assemblies and the Department of State Service (DSS), both in Abeokuta and Abuja, who cleared it as authenticated and that she knew no more than that until what the latest development started cropping up.

Her explanation enough to exonerate her from blame notwithstanding, Mrs Adeosun resigned with a backing word, “This is the honourable thing for me to do” and thus became the heroine of many lovers of the Buhari’s Government of Integrity and Change, for having the courage to do what they said many politicians particularly in the legislature of the country – assisted by lawyers and journalists – have not only failed to do but have tried hard using their high offices to bend the hands of the law from catching up on them.