A group – Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) – has given the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) seven days to clarify the exemption certificate saga swirling around the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun.
An online publication – Premium Times – had claimed that the minister forged her NYSC exemption certificate. But the minister is yet to respond to the allegation.
SERAP, in a Freedom of Information (FoI) request to NYSC Director-General Brigadier-General Sule Kazaure, requested the him to “use his good offices and leadership position to urgently provide information on specific details and documents on the Exemption Certificate granted to the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun.”
It also asked the NYSC “to provide information and documents on whether Mrs. Adeosun applied for NYSC Exemption Certificate, and if she did, to clarify whether the NYSC actually issued her the Exemption Certificate, the circumstances and the provisions of the NYSC Act under which the exemption was granted.”
While stating the need of providing the information to determine whether forgery has was committed, SERAP urged the Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), to pursue prosecution or invite a private prosecutor to step into the matter.
“By providing information and documents on the Exemption Certificate, the NYSC would help put an end to any insinuation of complicity and show that the institution can embrace transparency and accountability in the discharge of its statutory mandates. This would in turn contribute to improved integrity and public image of the NYSC.
“This will be one step in the right direction. If the information is not provided to us within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter, the Registered Trustees of SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions under the Freedom of Information Act to compel you to comply with our request,” SERAP Deputy Director, Timothy Adewale said in the FOI request.
SERAP, however, recognized the fact that Mrs. Adeosun remains innocent until the allegations against her are properly tested and proven beyond any reasonable doubt in a court of competent jurisdiction based on relevant admissible evidence.
It added that the continuing silence by the NYSC management on the matter may create an impression that an offence may have been committed, and lead to accusation that the management has something to hide.