The resignation of finance minister, Kemi Adeosun, from her post Friday evening did not come without high-wire drama and intrigues.

It followed weeks of high-level horse-trading since PREMIUM TIMES unraveled a certificate forgery scandal involving the minister.

The minister’s resignation was confirmed Friday evening through a statement by special adviser to the president on media, Femi Adesina.

Mr Adesina announced President Muhammadu Buhari’s acceptance of the resignation tendered by the minister. He also provided full text of the minister’s resignation letter.

On July 7, this newspaper exclusively reported how the finance minister skipped mandatory national youth service and forged an exemption certificate to cover it up.

PREMIUM TIMES has in series of reports between March and April painted a picture of unholy alliance between the minister and federal lawmakers, who used the discrepancy to blackmail Mrs Adeosun into illegally financing the legislature.

Despite outrage and condemnation from Nigerians, Mrs Adeosun maintained studied silence throughout.

The minister was reportedly assured by some powerful forces that nothing was going to happen to her.

Officials at the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) were said to have been placed under intense pressure to “save her neck.”

But sources at the presidency said the NYSC director general, Suleiman Kazaure, a brigadier general, was unbending to pressures, insisting that there was nothing he and his officials could do on the matter.

However, a section of the administration, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, was said to be uncomfortable with having Mrs Adeosun around, amidst the unresolved scandal.

But President Buhari, who assured government officials who spoke to him that he would take action on the matter, took many weeks trying to understand the issues.
THE EXIT

Mrs Adeosun’s journey into resignation started on Wednesday, with an order for her to resign.

Impeccable sources told PREMIUM TIMES the minister was barred from the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) and told to submit her resignation to the Chief of Staff to the president, Abba Kyari.

The verbal instruction, which was relayed to her by Mr Kyari on behalf of the president was said to have rattled Mrs Adeosun who went home downcast from the villa.

“She has been downcast and at home since she was given the order,” a source close to her told PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday.

The option of resignation was long settled on in government circles as a way of giving Mrs Adeosun an opportunity to save what remains of her integrity.

A leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, reportedly made the case to President Buhari to ask the minister to resign.

This was, however, not done before the president left for London on vacation in July.

At least two officials who met with Mr Buhari around the time confided in PREMIUM TIMES that the president assured them that he was consulting before taking action.

“He said he spoke to about seven persons, including the Ogun State governor who brought her, to seek advise on the way out,” a chief executive of one federal agency told PREMIUM TIMES at the time.
LAST MINUTE LOBBYING

Since the communication of the presidential decision to her on Friday, Mrs Adeosun, who was overcoming the initial hit from the issue, reactivated lobby to reverse the order.

Governors sympathetic to her cause made spirited attempts to change her fate on Wednesday, but met brick wall.

Seeing that her fate was sealed, Mrs Adeosun reluctantly called for a meeting of senior finance ministry officials on Thursday.

A senior ministry official who requested that his name should not be revealed, as he was not authorised to speak on the issue, said the minister turned in her resignation letter the same day.

The official said the minister received instruction to submit her resignation letter the previous day at the end of the weekly Executive Council of the Federation (FEC).

At the brief meeting Thursday afternoon, Mrs Adeosun directed them to commence the process of tidying the books and prepare the handing over notes.

The meeting was attended by the permanent secretary and the ministry’s departmental heads.

Two senior finance ministry officials who spoke with our reporter on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the press said there was directive to all the departments to immediately begin work on the hand over notes.

“There is fire on the mountain. We have been asked to abandon all we were doing and quickly put together reports in preparation of hand over notes,” one assistant director who attended the meeting with the minister on Thursday told our reporter.

Another top official familiar with the issues corroborated the information on Friday, adding that attention of key staff was now focused on turning in reports from their units and departments to meet the deadline the minister gave.

The official said the directive to officials to delay the formal announcement of Mrs Adeosun’s departure from the Executive Council of the Federation was given by the presidency to allow the minister sufficient time to complete her handing over note.

After spending the entire day in the office working to clean up her table and pick her personal belongings, the minister handed over to the ministry’s permanent secretary, Mahmoud Dutse, Friday evening.

But in its statement late Friday, the presidency directed the minister of state for budget and planning, Zainab Ahmed, to oversee the finance ministry.
HOW IT HAPPENED

Mrs Adeosun graduated from the Polytechnic of East London in 1989, at the age of 22, having been born in March 1967.

Having graduated at 22, the Nigerian law made obligatory for Mrs Adeosun to submit herself for mobilisation to participate in the one-year mandatory national service, for her to qualify for any job in Nigeria.

Following the report, the NYSC in its initial reaction disowned the purported exemption certificate the minister claimed she had.

Days later, the NYSC requested for time to investigate and carry out verification of the minister’s certificate.

The result of that verification was never made public but played a key role in Mrs Adeosun’s exit.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/283765-adeosungate-drama-intrigues-that-preceded-kemi-adeosuns-resignation.html

Born and bred in the uk and also spent the first 30-something years of her life abroad n y'all feel shes the right person to lead us? how can dis one understand the sufferings of d common naija man? i just taya

thank you premium times but there are alot of them remaining in that cabinet thhat forged cert, i can bet my one year meal, solomon dalung is a suspect

Tomibyte:
Born and bred in the uk and also spent the first 30-something years of her life abroad n y'all feel shes the right person to lead us? how can dis one understand the sufferings of d common naija man? i just taya

She understood it more than most. She collected taxes better, she financed SIP, she removed wasteful spending. Very intelligent and down to earth lady. If she is tried, jailed and pardoned by Buhari she can restart her political career.

hmm...


no trial? no prosecution? no refund of salaries received?

no righteous rants about integrity & fighting corrupt elements?


like I stated weeks ago, Adeosun was used to distract Nigerians from another issue.

I kinda like this woman. adeosun. refined and gentle. unlike that mad igbo woman lauretta onochei. but she decided to work for clanish buhari. what was she thinking ? she just go caught up in bad politics that's all love you ma.

I really liked this woman, she was great at her work

Despite outrage and condemnation from Nigerians, Mrs Adeosun maintained studied silence throughout.
The minister was reportedly assured by some powerful forces that nothing was going to happen to her.

Officials at the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) were said to have been placed under intense pressure to “save her neck.”
But sources at the presidency said the NYSC director general, Suleiman Kazaure, a brigadier general, was unbending to pressures, insisting that there was nothing he and his officials could do on the matter.
At least two officials who met with Mr Buhari around the time confided in PREMIUM TIMES that the president assured them that he was consulting before taking action.

“He said he spoke to about seven persons, including the Ogun State governor who brought her, to seek advise on the way out,” a chief executive of one federal agency told PREMIUM TIMES at the time.
LAST MINUTE LOBBYING

Since the communication of the presidential decision to her on Friday, Mrs Adeosun, who was overcoming the initial hit from the issue, reactivated lobby to reverse the order.

Governors sympathetic to her cause made spirited attempts to change her fate on Wednesday, but met brick wall.Seeing that her fate was sealed, Mrs Adeosun reluctantly called for a meeting of senior finance ministry officials on Thursday

No wonder this fraud of a minister kept an annoying sealed lips while the government of corruption she is serving in was working underground on how to perfect a cover up hence keep proving to the whole world that indeed they have simply legalized corruption.

That means the resignation of the disgraced minister was never done in good faith but simply of the impulsive fact that the APC govt have reached a political culdesac as far as this scandal is concerned.
Did anyone noticed that they've not been shouting their usual rhetorics of "corruption" in this case because one of their own have been caught with her hands in the cookie jar
Meanwhile no apology to the Nigerian people from either the minister or the government in a clear cut matter as this.

Official of this useless government have started defending her even before Kemi Adeosun will say anything on this scandalous issue.Such a shame.

From Joe Igbokwe shameless photoshopped attempt, to the reckless "Forgery is not corruption" by Femi Adeshina and the woefull statement by the PACAC boss-Sagay, the APC have proven again & again that its reeks of morbid corruption
Abeg why are the zombies of this shameless government not talking

I can bet my last cent, premium times is owned by a southerner. while northerners cooperate in protecting their own and their members, southerner keeps attacking each other. you would think north only have huasa/Fulani as its only inhabitants, but it is a diverse ethnic groups, protecting common interest of enjoying southern resources, using southern sea port, and most especially sell agricultural produce to southern market at any price they deem fit(e.g local rice been expensive than foreign rice). ironically southern lawyers backed by tinubu, went ahead to procure a judgement which prevent any action been taking for buhari's lack of producing the basic educational certiface required for a fair contest from a southern judge. my simple question is what if North decides not to zone presidency to south come 2023, are we southerners going to still play the game fairly?

Wish her the best in her future endeavors

Her position had become untenable and her exit inevitable. It was the right thing to do

https://www.nairaland.com/4604321/mumurity-iberiberism-everywhere-smh

It was extreme carelessness on her part because is it not the same NYSC that Davido appeared in for 3 days and has jetted out? will anybody accuse him of not serving? How many people really do this service sef? Even ordinary citizens just appear in camp, conclude their registrations and disappear for the year only to re-appear and collect their discharge Cert so why did she let it happen to her? I put some blame on Amosun who was on ground, brought her back from London and should have known what to do.

The little things do matter after all

SternProphet:


She understood it more than most. She collected taxes better, she financed SIP, she removed wasteful spending. Very intelligent and down to earth lady. If she is tried, jailed and pardoned by Buhari she can restart her political career.

She took us into the economic recession and piles of debt after NOI took us out of it

Tomibyte:
Born and bred in the uk and also spent the first 30-something years of her life abroad n y'all feel shes the right person to lead us? how can dis one understand the sufferings of d common naija man? i just taya

Interesting

ApC is the worst occurrence to Nigeria.

The losers in this whole episode are:

Joe Igbokwe - a man who tried all he could to deceive the public rather than either uphold the truth or keep quiet.
He went as far as trying to Photoshop Adeosun into an NYSC uniform.


Itse Sagay
A supposed SAN, who was appointed by Buhari to advise him on anti corruption matters, was boldly out supporting Adeosun's fraud instead. The man tried to turn the law on its head just to protect the lost image of the APC. At the end of the day, he has only succeeded in bringing shame and ridicule to not just himself, but to his household, government, the APC, and to Buhari who appointed him.

Lai Mohammed? That one is already a lost cause. A government spokesman that came out to defend forgery.

After leading the nation into recession and unprecedented debt? She should be thrown into Kiri kiri where Rev King will fvck brains into her

Am deeply raveled by this,,,,,, She is someone I would have loved to take this administration forward

lol, been reading comments on this saga both from here and facebook, let's search our conscience, if one way or the other we have not reduced our ages in our C.Vs,some reduced upto 10 to 15 years, what's y'all got to say about that? are we not guilty of forgery as well?

At least, as she resign she go get rest of mind. No more attack from her haters.


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10Ebisco:


But President Buhari, who assured government officials who spoke to him that he would take action on the matter, took many weeks trying to understand the issues.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/283765-adeosungate-drama-intrigues-that-preceded-kemi-adeosuns-resignation.html

Lol

Finally

iammo:
I can bet my last cent, premium times is owned by a southerner. while northerners cooperate in protecting their own and their members, southerner keeps attacking each other. you would think north only have huasa/Fulani as its only inhabitants, but it is a diverse ethnic groups, protecting common interest of enjoying southern resources, using southern sea port, and most especially sell agricultural produce to southern market at any price they deem fit(e.g local rice been expensive than foreign rice). ironically southern lawyers backed by tinubu, went ahead to procure a judgement which prevent any action been taking for buhari's lack of producing the basic educational certiface required for a fair contest from a southern judge. my simple question is what if North decides not to zone presidency to south come 2023, are we southerners going to still play the game fairly?

Considering the fact that the North is paying for years of defending their corrupt people in heartbreaking poverty....I say it makes sense to keep on exposing corrupt Southerners....till they get replaced by guys who won't steal.

No NYSC certificate a minister resigned what would have happened if she had no WAEC certificate?

Hmmmm

She was just plain stupid and criminal in forging an NYSC certificate with the aide of NYSC officials.

This is the same NYSC exemption that Diezani Madueke obtained on the eve of her becoming a minister under Yar'Adua as Vice President Jonathan's candidate.

Some have even opined Diezani Madueke never got any NYSC exemption, yet she still held public office.

Even our president don't have certificate