By JACOB KUBEKA
Amid the raging controversy and public trailing Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), confirmed on Monday that the Minister of Finance did apply for an exemption certificate.
The NYSC, which was established in 1973 by the Yakubu Gowon regime, did not say whether or not that exemption certificate was issued to Mrs Adeosun ant when.
The Nigerian Finance Minister is currently embroiled in a controversy following an exclusive report by one of the leading online newspapers, alleging that she evaded participation in the mandatory one-year service for graduates with the Higher National Diploma (HND) and degree not above 30 years of age.
The story, which broke out last week, detailed how the Minister did not only fail to participate in the mandatory one year national youth service but procured a fake exemption certificate in 2009.
NYSC Director of Press Mrs. Adeyemi Adenike, in a statement issued in Abuja Monday, promised that that the scheme would however, investigate the origin of the allegedly forged exemption certificate purportedly being used by the Minister.
The terse statement 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.”
The Minister is still to respond to the allegation. And so is the leadership of Nigeria’s National Assembly, whose members are accused in the online newspaper story of having deliberately concealed information the forged exemption certificate when Adeosun presented the document during her screening for clearance as Minister.
The paper had, indeed, reported that some federal lawmakers who knew about the forged document, continued to use this information to force the hand of the Finance Minister in approving release of funds to them.