How Kemi Adeosun Initially Resisted Buhari’s Fact-Finding Panel Before Finally Resigning

Former Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, had initially resisted multiple queries by a panel instituted by President Muhammadu Buhari to find out the truth behind media allegations that she possesses a forged NYSC exception certificate, further investigations have shown.

Adeosun, who maintained silence for 69 days after her certificate forgery scandal was brought to the public domain, had succumbed to pressure by resigning her position on Friday.

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Her resignation came largely because of an exclusive investigation by Premium Times, which exposed her forged national youth service certificate and fueled the calls by several groups for her removal.

Premium Times is however reporting further that but for President Buhari’s directive to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, who “fired her repeated queries” regarding the scandal, Mrs Adeosun wouldn’t have resigned her office.

According to the newspaper, Mr Mustapha’s first query to Adeosun regarding the matter was ignored by the minister. The report said at the peak of outrages over Adeosun’s silence regarding the forgery scandal, the SGF had first directed the minister to issue a statement to the press to clarify the allegation, but that the minister declined. It was gathered that the minister also declined several other efforts by the SGF to get her to clarify the issue in the press.

This, it was learnt, led Mr Mustapha to write to the NYSC requesting the veracity of the allegation leveled against Mrs Adeosun in the media. The Scheme reportedly admitted to the SGF that the minister was in possession of a forged certificate.

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It was gathered that the SGF then prepared a report to President Buhari, indicting Mrs Adeosun of the forgery allegation leveled against her. This obviously left the minister with no option other than to step down.

Meanwhile, there are claims in some sections of the media that the NYSC certificate forgery scandal was not the primary reason why the minister was forced to resign her office.

Ace Nigerian stand-up comedian, Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, popularly known as Alibaba, reacted to the matter thus: “I have talked with some people in the corridors of power. The certificate is not the real reason she resigned. It’s the reason given. It’s the election year. Just like NOI (former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala), there are people who want access to certain federal funds, that only she (Adeosun) has access to. And like NOI, she will not play the ball. The best way is to discredit her, and put her out of the office, and by that move now let someone who will dance to their tune.” Alibaba said this in an Instagram post on Saturday.

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