Kemi Adeosun was one of the most powerful ministers in president Buhari administration due to her portfolio as Finance minister. Her resignation was certainly a shock since it is rare in Nigeria where it seems that everything goes. It should be recalled that she was accused of forging her National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) certificate of exemption from the mandatory one-year service which every Nigerian adult who graduated before the age of 30 years old are required to complete. There is no question that Mrs. Adeosun graduated from the University of East London before attaining 30 years of age, thus eligible to serve in the Nigerian Youth Service Corp. It is also not in dispute that her exemption certificate was forged. She is now claiming that she was not aware that the exemption certificate was fake. I think she was aware of it but thinks that this is Nigeria where everything goes which is an unwritten rule in Nigeria until now.
Sahara Reporter and Premium Times newspaper brought the allegation to the attention of Nigerians. The two Newspapers have frequently broken numerous cases of fraud in Nigeria and have excellent track record of being correct in most of the news they break. When they broke this news, I knew that something was wrong and the fact that Mrs. Adeosun did not comment on it right away was even more revealing.
Well, the unthinkable which is resignation of a powerful minister under any Nigerian government just happened. This development is a huge step forward for governance in Nigeria. President Buhari should be commended for pushing her to resign since it would have been impossible for him to claim that he is a man of integrity while having a person with fake certificate in his administration, especially when Nigerian newspapers has been relentless in covering this issue. Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) even sued the Director General of NYSC, Mr. Sule Kazaure over his failure to publish specific documents and information pertaining to the minister. SERAP were making progress because the Judge who had the case ruled that the case should go forward because it has some merit.
Mrs. Adeosun should also be commended for toeing the part of honor by resigning even though she was pushed by the president. Most Nigerian ministers has to be literally dragged out of their office before they can leave their position. So, it is a step forward for her and Nigeria since she would not have been able to function effectively with such cloud hanging over her head.
My greatest disappointment and anger about this saga lay on the feet of Professor Itse Sagay, head of Presidential Panel on anti-corruption. Mr. Sagay, a supposedly constitutional lawyer and a professor said when the news broke that Mrs. Adeosun should remain in office even if guilty of forgery while he was at the same time demanding immediate resignation of Bukola Saraki as senate president on moral grounds after his defection to PDP. It is unbelievable that a man like this has the ear of any president. I think people of his ilk are more dangerous to Nigeria than Kemi Adeosun. That character who is masquerading as a learned man and a constitutional lawyer said recently that all the All Progressive Congress (APC) should give in to APC governors who are insistent on maintaining indirect primary system for nomination of candidates. Most Nigerians know that indirect primary is a scam and a conduit for governors to impose candidates on their parties. Mr. Sagay is clearly a man who has no believes and clearly a man with situational ethics who does not believe in the rule of law when it does not suit his purpose or agenda. Such a man should not be anywhere near any president, let alone act as an adviser on corruption.
A lot of Nigerians including myself do not fully know the requirements for mandatory National Youth Service Corp. (NYSC) until this incident. If somebody finished first degree before they turn 30 years old and then continue their master’s and Doctorate degree non-stop and are over 30 when they finally finish, are they going to be mandated to do their NYSC before taking any government job in Nigeria?
NYSC program needs urgent reform. Obviously, the reform could not be done during the time Mrs. Adeosun is embroiled in this certificate mess so wrong signal will not be sent to the public. It is unrealistic and not even wise to include Nigerians who live and studied outside Nigeria in NYSC program even if they finish their bachelor’s before they turn 30 years old. It made sense when Nigerians who live and studied outside Nigeria normally pack their bags and go back home as soon as they finish their studies. That is no longer the case now. We now have millions of Nigerians in diaspora scattered all over the world. Mandatory National Service (NYSC) should be limited to Nigerians who live and studied in Nigeria period. It is not double standard or discrimination.
For the sake of Nigeria future and growth, we need to find a way to attract Nigerians and their children who lives and studied outside Nigeria back to Nigeria. They have knowledge and skills Nigeria need to develop. Placing additional burden of coming home for NYSC will constitute a huge setback in attracting foreign born Nigerians and Nigerians educated outside Nigeria back home. NYSC reform need to take place immediately before Nigeria loses talented people they need for development. Persuading Nigerians in diaspora to come home now is already difficult and adding mandatory National Youth Service will make it much more difficult. Nigeria should not waste their potential vast human resources with unnecessary demand which will end up achieving the opposite of what we all want. Piling on Mrs. Kemi Adeosun at this point is not the best way to go. It is not a good idea to keep kicking somebody when they are down. Nigerians must learn valuable lesson from this unfortunate situation and make overdue reform in the NYSC program.