Court Acquits Kemi Adeosun On NYSC Controversy

Posted by Tolulope Ogugua Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Wednesday, July 7th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Nigeria’s former finance minister Kemi Adeosun, who was caught in a certificate forgery scandal, got what appears to be an acquittal from a court on Wednesday.

The Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that Mrs Adeosun did not breach any law by being appointed to the ministerial position in 2015 without participating in the NYSC scheme.

Although Mrs Adesosun forged her NYSC certificate to be appointed minister, the issue of forgery was not brought before the court as the federal government has refused to prosecute her for that.

The judge, held that Mrs Adeosun, as of the time she graduated from a United Kingdom university at 22 in 1989, was a British citizen who was not qualified to participate in the scheme.

The judge added that when she returned to Nigeria and became a Nigerian citizen at over 30 years old, she was no longer eligible to participate in the NYSC scheme.

Mr Taiwo ruled that NYSC certificate was not a requirement for Mrs Adeosun to be appointed as a Nigerian minister or contest the House of Representatives election.

The judge did not review the forgery of an NYSC exemption certificate which Mrs Adeosun procured for her screening ahead of her ministerial appointment in 2015.

Mrs Adeosun had filed the suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/303/2021, with the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as the sole defendant.

Among her four prayers in the suit is “a declaration that the plaintiff, being a United Kingdom citizen as at 1989 when she graduated from the University of East London, London, United Kingdom at the age of 22 years, was ineligible to participate in the National Youth Service Corpse scheme, established by the National Youth Service Corps Act, CAP N8, LFN, 2004.”