The deafening silence that has enshrouded the allegation of National Youth Service Corps exemption certificate forgery involving the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, is quite troubling, to say the least. In a matter that impinges on the integrity and character of a government official of such high standing, it is disgusting – and also very disrespectful of the right of Nigerians to know – that the minister and her employers have decided to act in such a hush-hush manner.
This is yet another question mark on the rapidly crumbling reputation of the President Muhammadu Buhari government for uprightness and transparency. The much vaunted reputation of the President for intrepidity in the face of daunting challenges is once again open to public scrutiny and he knows that he does not have to continually blot his copybook. That is one of the things that propelled him to victory three and a half years ago when he offered to stand for change and as an alternative to his clueless and less distinguished predecessor.
Contrary to the requirement that every Nigerian below the age of 30 should participate in a mandatory year-long national service, upon graduation from the university or any other institution of similar status, it has been alleged that the minister did not only evade the service, but also presented a forged certificate to show that she was fittingly exempted. Details of the grimy story indicate that the person purported to have signed the exemption certificate in September 2009 had already retired from service by January of the same year.
So far, more than three weeks since the story broke, comments have been coming from diverse sources, except the sources that actually matter. It is time to break the silence. It is time for the government and Adeosun to come clean about what has mushroomed into a national scandal. The NYSC has said that she actually applied for exemption but has not stated whether it was granted. It said it was being investigated, while the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said it had nothing to say outside of what the NYSC said.
These are not the kind of responses Nigerians expect on a matter of such national importance. Many questions are begging for answers. For instance, could it have been possible for the minister to be given an exemption on account of her age, as she purportedly claimed, when she reportedly graduated in 1989 at the age of 22? How did a person that retired from service in January still sign a certificate that is dated September?
The questions continue: on account of what is in the public domain now, can Adeosun vouch for the authenticity of her exemption certificate? Why is the NYSC itself finding it difficult to come out and state the exact position on this matter? Could it by any chance be true that the Senate, which in the past had been accused of extorting money to clear nominees for ministerial positions, did not notice any infraction during Adeosun’s screening? What about the State Security Service? Did it also escape their supposed eagle eye scrutiny?
It is sad that Nigeria is once again making herself a laughing stock before other nations. What everybody expects is that, by now, the government should have set the machinery in motion to carry out a thorough investigation into the entire sordid affair. If the minister herself does not consider it fit to step down for her name to be cleared, it is the responsibility of the government to have asked her to do so. Taking such actions is not necessarily an indictment, but just the natural procedural steps commensurate with international best practices.
For instance, in 2004, the United Kingdom Immigration Minister, Beverly Hughes, resigned her appointment after it became public that she knew about an alleged visa scam that was being perpetrated a year earlier, contrary to statements she made to the media and members of parliament. ”I have decided that I cannot in conscience continue to serve as immigration minister,” the Labour MP said as she handed in her resignation. This is the minimum irreducible standard in other democracies and it is the standard that Nigerians should demand.
In France, it was a case of high drama in June last year when two ministers resigned under 24 hours after they came under investigation. Sylvie Goulard threw in the towel after just a month in office, when a magistrate launched investigations into allegations that her party misused European parliamentary funds. A day earlier, Richard Ferrand had also resigned from the then fledgling government of Emmanuel Macron, following a preliminary investigation into allegations of nepotism and financial impropriety.
In the case of Adeosun, there should be a thorough investigation; and if the allegations are found to be true, then she does not only have to be asked to resign, she should be made to face the full weight of the law. The nature of impropriety and the punishment are well spelt out under the law, so it should not be a difficult issue to handle. In a democracy, where the rule of law is supreme, everybody, regardless of status, has to bow to the majesty of the law.
The President has a record of dragging his heels over matters of impropriety concerning members of his close circle of aides, as was the case with Babachir Lawal. It took quite a while for the President to make up his mind after the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation was alleged to have soiled his hands in the award of contracts worth N220 million for the clearing of grass in the Boko Haram-infested areas.
But on this matter, he has to act and swiftly too. Nigerians and the world will not wait forever.
