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The presidency said it was yet to be briefed about alleged forgery of National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) discharge certificate by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun.
An online news portal, Premium Times, had in a report at the weekend, alleged that the minister failed to undertake the mandatory one year national service, having graduated at 22, and fraudulently obtained an exemption certificate at 42, in violation of the NYSC establishment act, Decree No 24 of 1973 as amended.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, yesterday said that he was yet to be briefed on the forgery allegation.
“Well, I have not been briefed on this. I haven’t heard of it being spoken. I am completely unaware of anything,” he said in response to query on what President Muhammadu Buhari was doing about the allegation that one of his ministers committed the crime of forgery.
Also speaking on the topic which has since gone viral, Jimoh Moshood, public relations officer of the Nigeria Police Force who made the disclosure on Channels TV’s SunRise Daily on Monday, denied having any knowledge about Adeosun’s certificate scandal.
When asked if the police will be taking up the allegation levelled against Adeosun, Moshood replied”Thanks you so much, I am just hearing it for the first time from you, nobody has laid any complain about such in any police command or at Police headquarters. So, I can’t talk about it.”
NYSC spokesperson, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, also confirmed that the corps would issue an official statement but declined to give the exact date the statement would be made.
The NYSC is a compulsory for all Nigerians who graduate from universities or equivalent institutions at less than 30 years of age.
In addition to being a requirement for government and private sector jobs in Nigeria, the enabling law prescribes punishment for anyone who absconds from the scheme or forges its certificates.
Eligible Nigerians who skipped the service are liable to be sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and/or N2,000 fine, according to Section 13 of the NYSC law.
Section 13 (3) of the law also prescribes three-year jail term or option of N5,000 fine for anyone who contravenes provision of the law as Adeosun has done.
Subsection 4 of the same section also criminalises giving false information or illegally obtaining the agency’s certificate. It provides for up to three-year jail term for such offenders.