https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/275663-exclusive-pressure-mounts-on-nysc-to-cover-up-adeosungate.html

The National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) has come under intense pressure since the publication of an exclusive story by PREMIUM TIMES exposing how finance minister, Kemi Adeosun, avoided the obligatory national service and fraudulently obtained an exemption certificate.


Mrs Adeosun, who graduated at 22 in 1989 from the University of East London, ought not to have been issued with a Certificate of Exemption of the service. The minister does not fall in the category of those entitled for exemption.

The story has generated outrage from Nigerians who asked the minister to resign from her post or be fired by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Details published by this newspaper on Monday showed that the purported certificate was among the set of documents submitted by the minister for her appointment and screening in 2015.

NYSC management on Monday issued a rather vague press statement distancing itself from the certificate paraded by Mrs Adeosun, but at the same time claiming it was investigating its source. It confirmed the minister had applied for the certificate.

Mrs Adeosun is yet to respond to the issues raised, 72 hours after publication of the story.

Many Nigerians were unsatisfied by the NYSC’s response with some seeing it as a first step in giving the minister a dubious cover.

PREMIUM TIMES understands that the press statement was extracted off the NYSC after a high-level lobbying and pressure mounted on the director general of the service, Suleiman Kazaure.

Mr Kazaure, a brigadier general, was said to have come under severe pressure since the publication on Saturday with a governor believed to be Mrs Adeosun’s godfather repeatedly reaching out to the NYSC boss.

Also in the league to persuade the NYSC to “help the minister out” is a senior government minister. The minister is said to be working round the clock “to avert a PR disaster for the government”.

The two politicians are said to be playing the cards of national interest and the need to save the government from embarrassment to the director general.


Mr Kazaure is said to have resisted the initial pressure but was later cajoled to give a non-committal statement pending the presidency taking final position on the matter.

“If you read the NYSC statement it is non-committal at all, although they tactically disowned the document,” said a source familiar with the issues. “They can come out tomorrow and say even though the woman applied, no certificate was issued. But if the pressure is sustained they can own up to the flawed certificate.”

The atmosphere at the NYSC secretariat was charged throughout Monday with senior officials locked in winding meetings to find a solution to the scandal at hand.

This is Nigeria.

Everybody be Criminal!

Even the President lie about not knowing about whereabouts of the IF I during the killings.

So expect they will try to falsify the BYSC database for a criminal that lied on their application.

It's so shameful, but remember THIS IS NIGRRIA!

@premiumtimes hit then hard please, give them no breathing space at all.
It's very obvious now the certificate was forged otherwise Mrs Adeosun would have spoken up since. She's waiting to see how the presidency can soften the ground for her.

Bunch of despicable scammers.

There is no way she can be covered . Even if the dead director dd sign any certificcaate it would be illegal as she does not meet the criteris for an exemption,
However I am sure this would open a can of wormss including the likes of Saraka ,Tinubu,Okonjo-Iweala,Senator Andy Uba and many others

What many people do not know is failure to serve is an offence punishable by 1 year in prison

but also ineligibility to hold any government office or employment

Premium times editorial board, kudo for this investigative move. We know she will be covered. But we are waiting to learn the tactics they will use, so that we can update our knowledge for our own time. We are learning criminal moves from this Government.

What a childish and mumuish stunt by kemi.

She should just resign and gerrout from there. What's the big deal about being posted to a camp, showing up and arranging with the officials there, settle for the year and fuggedbout it didn't she understand?

Mumurity and iberiberism everywhere

Kudos to Dapo Olorunyomi and his team