Since the resignation of Mrs Kemi Adeosun as Minister of Finance 69 days after she was exposed as a certificate forger, Nigerians have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to prosecute the disgraced minister. Mrs Adeosun resigned via a letter dated September 14, 2018.
She wrote in part: “On the basis of that advice and with the guidance and assistance of those, I thought were trusted associates, NYSC were approached for documentary proof of status. I then received the certificate in question. Having never worked in NYSC, visited the premises, been privy to nor familiar with their operations, I had no reason to suspect that the certificate was anything but genuine. Indeed, I presented that certificate at the 2011 Ogun State House of Assembly and in 2015 for Directorate of State Services (DSS) Clearance as well as to the National Assembly for screening. Be that as it may, as someone totally committed to a culture of probity and accountability I have decided to resign with effect from Friday, 14th September, 2018”.
However, Nigerians have called for her prosecution insisting that this is yet another test of the genuineness of President Muhammadu Buhari’s fight against corruption. They said her claim of being ignorant of the fake status of the NYSC Exemption Certificate is not an excuse in law. Adeosun must be prosecuted, they said, because forgery is corruption.
Paul Ibe, a key member of Atiku Abubakar media office in a post on Twitter wrote: “69 days after Kemi Adeosun was exposed for fake NYSC certificate, Buhari did nothing. Now that she has reportedly resigned, it will be difficult for him and his government to convince any sane Nigerian about the sincerity of his anti-graft war. Even the so-called career has been compromised by the forgery of her NYSC discharge certificate.
“There’s no guarantee, for example, that she has not been cooking up or sexing up or padding figures. She is not deserving of such a high profile responsibility. Forgery Is Corruption.”
Ademola Olanrewaju on his twitter handle wrote: “The minister has admitted to committing a criminal offence. She should be prosecuted. She really has no defence in this because ignorance of a crime does not exonerate one. Over to PMB”.
Mr. Bonnie Iwuoha, former President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Commissioner for Information, Abia State wrote on his Facebook wall: “It’s good that Kemi Adeosun has resigned. She should be prosecuted for evading the NYSC through a fake exemption certificate. She graduated at 22, what were the grounds for her asking for and securing Certificate of Exemption from NYSC whether real or fake?”
Yemi Ajayi write on Facebook: “Now that advocates of public morality have won this battle, it’s not over yet. The AGF and the Inspector General of Police, who have so far hidden behind the one finger of no report or petition against her can seize the moment to redeem themselves.
The presidential panel report, which Adeosun referenced in her resignation letter to Buhari that indicted her should be used to put her and those who procured the forged NYSC exemption certificate for her on trial.
The president is at liberty to exercise his prerogative of mercy in her favour, upon possible conviction, if he so desires. That’s how to bring a befitting closure to this saga. God bless Nigeria!”
All over social media, Nigerians are challenging Buhari to do to Adeosun what is due to her after admitting to profit in an act of forgery.
