Kolade Larewaju
WHEN news of the resignation of Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun was broken a few hours ago, not many people were surprised because it is long expected. Most people had expected her to resign or be sent packing especially when she could not offer any defence on the allegation leveled against her over the forgery of her National Youth service discharge certificate. The allegations which bothered on forgery are criminal in nature and as such would impugn on the anti corruption mantra of the Buhari administration many argued.
Trouble started for the much respected Minister who had introduced far reaching changes and novel ways of monitoring of the nations finances,when a notable online medium wrote a piece alleging that she has not served the nation through the NYSC scheme and that she was not eligible to be exempted from the service when she had completed her education in Europe before she was 30 years of age. Moreover, the online medium Premium Times, alleged that the Exemption Certificate she was using was forged.
The NYSC in response to the issue in a very terse statement by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi said their records only indicated that Mrs. Adeosun applied for the Exemption Certificate. She however did not disclose whether the Minister was issued with the Certificate or not.
Mrs Kemi Adeosun before her appointment into the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari was the Ogun State Commissioner for Finance in the Ibikunle Administration between 2011 and 2015. In fact she had been nominated again as a Commissioner in the State before the appointment into the Federal Cabinet came through.
The appointment of Adeosun as a Minister generated some controversy, though unconfirmed, as she was said to have been nominated as against the nomination of the National leader of the party Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Tinubu was said to have nominated Chief Wale Edun, another indigene of the State who was once said to be Kemi Adeosun’s boss, but Amosun was said to have used his connection with the President and the fact that he was the sitting Governor to undermine Tinubu and get her appointed.
Adeosun, from Ogun Waterside Local Government of the State was rumored to be interested in the Governorship of the state before her travails started prompting people to believe it was the handiwork of those who were against her ambition. She therefore had a lot of support from people defending her until it was obvious that the had no form of defence.
Making her case was the pressure being brought on President Buhari by the media through various columns by highly respected media managers and columnists. Most profound were columns by Ray Ekpu who only only Tuesday wrote in the Guardian for the second time on the Adeosun saga an article tiled “Adeosun: A soft landing”. This was weeks after writing “Ungolden Silence”
In the latest article calling for a soft landing for Adeosun, Mr Ekpu said”I suggest three measures (a) she must serve in the NYSC scheme now. As a foreign graduate she could serve in the Ministry of Finance where she is now and receive her current salary. However, when she goes for community service on any day of the week one day’s pay must be deducted from her salary. Many private sector organizations that accept corps members operate this way. (b) She must apologize to Nigerians for the errors. (c) If she wishes she can donate her NYSC allowance to a charity of her choice. This will be a way of mollifying the feelings of Nigerians on this matter. It will also bring peace to her troubled heart. It will also do an immense good to her image which has come under serious scrutiny since the news broke. The government will then be able to continue to retain her service without doing any damage to its reputation which this matter threatens to smear”.
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But in spite of what has become her fate- informed probably her decision to bow out, she has set a record for other public office holders and indeed President Mohammadu Buhari who had no reason whatsoever to shield any of his ministers or appointees from public scrutiny or probe since one of her favourite and strategic ministers had demonstrate enough courage and bow to public opinion-a virtue are in public office in Nigeria.
It is to Mrs Adeosun credit that far reaching policies like the Treasury Single Account (TSA) -a policy which has greatly introduced fiscal discipline into government accounting procedures was initiated beside the Bank Verification Number(BVN) which adoption and enforcement by this administration set it apart from the previous government which lacked the political will and courage to introduced this far reaching fiscal policies.
Mrs Adeosun, soft spoken and eloquent, also had her brushes with the leadership of the National Assembly because of her insistence on fiscal discipline and accountability which also impacted on the scrutiny of the budget and the compliance of the NASS with the fiscal regulations to streamline the nations finances.
She will go down as a courageous fighter who unknowingly became a victim of powerful elite conspiracy both in the civil service, government bureaucracy and the NASS.
