As if any further evidence is required that brazenness and lack of respect for the Constitution are not alien to high ranking government officials, it’s been provided by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Certificate brouhaha surrounding Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun. She has been openly accused of submitting a suspicious NYSC Exemption Certificate which she was never legally entitled to obtain in the first place! The one-year National Youth Service is compulsory for all Nigerians who graduate below the age of 30. The only exception is those who served in the Military or Intelligence Corps. Those who graduate aged above 30 qualify for an Exemption Certificate. Born in 1967 Adeosun’s Degree Certificate states that it was awarded by the “University of East London” in 1989 when she was 22 years old.
Curiously the Institution only gained University status in 1992, three years after her Degree was awarded! As at 1989 the Institution was known as the ““Polytechnic of East London”. Even more curious is the fact that Adeosun’s NYSC Exemption Certificate is dated September 2009, a full 20 years after she graduated! Also it carries the signature of someone who left office before that date! These discrepancies aside, Adeosun is required by law to possess an NYSC Discharge Certificate as a pre-condition for any employment in Nigeria, let alone in government. That the “Honourable” Minister has refused to address the issue satisfactorily is inexcusable.
It suggests that other than her accent, she imbibed little from English culture where nobility is paramount. Her reticence implies both a lack of regard for the Nigerian public and an expectation that the matter will eventually be swept under the carpet. Although personal integrity, self-respect, and respect for the law are no longer a requirement for high office in Nigeria, the truth is that Adeosun’s position is untenable. The excuse that the Exemption Certificate was obtained on her behalf simply doesn’t hold water. The scandal is a stain on the reputation of an administration which came to office brandishing integrity.
Some Nigerians claim quite absurdly that it doesn’t matter whether Adeosun served or not, since NYSC doesn’t affect her competence. Prominent amongst such people is Professor Itsey Sagay Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Corruption (PAC). Even as 13 Youth-Corpers were being buried, Sagay said he didn’t see anything wrong with anyone not doing Youth Service. This imprudent statement showed a crass indifference towards the pains of parents of Corpers who die with monotonous regularity while fulfilling their patriotic and obligatory duty. It was an unbecoming display of double standards which revealed a deficit of respect for the law.
Professor Sagay, a Professor of Law, tried to justify what is intrinsically wrong by saying that because Adeosun is an “extremely valuable” member of the government, her failure to serve in NYSC can be forgiven! The PAC Chairman appears to believe that while ordinary citizens should obey the law, the well-connected can get away with breaking it! Apparently, it’s of little importance to him that when he accepted the role as PAC Chairman he swore to uphold the Constitution. Without an NYSC Discharge Certificate, Adeosun’s employment by government is both unlawful and unconstitutional. It’s simply another scandal which gives weight to allegations that the anti-corruption war is a sham designed only to hound opponents.
It’s increasingly difficult to swallow the All Progressives Congress (APC) anti-corruption mantra when those they appointed to high office neither resign nor are prosecuted for proven allegations against them. It’s a national tragedy that APC’s claim of integrity and probity is being rubbished by highly placed government officials covering up sharp practices. Truth be told Nigerians are becoming weary of this apparent indifference towards getting rid of indicted officials. Some commentators aren’t surprised by Adeosun’s predicament. When she was proposed for a Ministerial position the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders objected vehemently, casting doubts upon both her suitability and competence.
Despite endearing herself to the likes of Professor Sagay, the economic downturn and massive job losses since she assumed office has been verified by the National Bureau of Statistics. All the talk about Adeosun having applied for an NYSC Exemption Certificate is irrelevant because she was never entitled to one in the first place. Since the inception of NYSC it’s been routine for Nigerians who graduated overseas to return home and serve because the law prescribes penalties for failing to do so.
Unsurprisingly spokespersons for opposition Parties claim Adeosun is “an accomplice to criminal forgery” and have demanded her immediate removal and prosecution. Her clinging to office is further evidence that the rephrased “Animal Farm” adage: “All Nigerians are equal, but some are more equal than others”, is true. Be that as it may, the elite should certainly not be those who have, whether directly or otherwise, involved themselves in malfeasance and failed to show regard for duty, honor and country.
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