FORGERY: We need time to verify authenticity of Adeosun’s certificate— NYSC

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has responded to the certificate scandal involving says Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Finance.

In a statement on Monday, NYSC said Adeosun did apply for exemption certificate from the scheme, promising to investigate the authenticity of the “purported Exemption Certificate in question”.

NYSC’s statement was in response to inquiries by Premium Times which broke the story on Adeosun’s alleged failure to participate in the mandatory scheme and forgery of the exemption certificate.

NYSC’s full statement is below:

RE-EXEMPTION CERTIFICATE OF THE HON. MINISTER OF FINANCE, MRS. KEMI ADEOSUN

Our attention has been drawn to the issue of the alleged forgery of an NYSC Exemption Certificate by the Honorable Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun.

Checking our records, Mrs. Adeosun did apply for an Exemption Certificate.

We shall investigate the origin of the purported Exemption Certificate in question.

Thank you.

Adeyemi Adenike (Mrs.)

Director, Press and Public Relations

Read also: PDP calls for Adeosun’s sack over NYSC certificate scandal

Premium Times also interviewed Adenike, the Corps’ spokesperson.

The full text of the interview is below:

PREMIUM TIMES: What is the NYSC’s response to our request for verification of the certificate being paraded by the finance minister, Kemi Adeosun?

MRS ADEYEMI: You have sent in a request wanting to know, subjecting that certificate to verification. I agree with you, the request has been received at the NYSC headquarters, and you would want the NYSC to verify that certificate which you said was submitted by the honourable minister. The NYSC as a public institution and organisation where some information is domiciled for public interest will definitely not hoard any information. But whatever we are releasing from this organisation, from our tables, must definitely be subjected to every test so that when we say this is verified or not verified we stand by our words. Your request has been received and is being worked upon and the moment the verification process is concluded you will be given the right response. At no point in time will the NYSC, being a public institution, not respond to public enquiry. Any enquiry will be responded to and, definitely, everything that would come from our organisation would have been subjected to every test of integrity and having passed the test of integrity, which we uphold very dearly, the response will be given. You may just need to give a little more time so that the verification process goes through every stage and at the end of the day when anything is being said on the verification we can stand by it. We can say we have done every test of integrity.

PREMIUM TIMES: Why is it taking this long?

MRS ADEYEMI: There are occasions when you need to…we are talking about records of the past. There are occasions where some information you may have to search very well and through different places; particularly too, the organisation moved sometimes from Area 3 (in Abuja) to the present headquarters. So there are various times when (for) some information, you need a little extra time to get your record straight. But we don’t want ever to give out information when every test has not been carried out. Just give us a little more time and we will get back to you.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now