Finance minister reportedly skipped NYSC with forged certificate

There is a report that Nigeria’s Finance Minister,

Premium Times reports that Adeosun failed to participate in the mandatory service scheme after completion of her university education in London.

Nigeria's 23rd Finance minister earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of East London and a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Financial Management from the University of London.

She allegedly forged an exemption certificate many years after her graduation from the University of East London, Premium Times reports.

It was also alleged in the report that Adeosun’s official credentials show that she parades a purported NYSC exemption certificate, which was issued in September 2009, granting her exemption from the mandatory service on account of age.

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Meanwhile, Adeosun qualified as a Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales in 1994.

The National Youths Service Corps, NYSC

The National Youths Service Corps coordinates the National Youths service, a one-year-long service compulsory for all Nigerians who graduate from universities or equivalent institutions and are below the age of 30.

The service is a requirement for government and private sector jobs in Nigeria. The Nigerian law prescribes punishment for anyone who absconds from the scheme or forges its certificates.

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The Section 13 of the NYSC law states that eligible Nigerians who skipped the service are liable to be sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and/or N2,000 fine.

Subsection 3 of the same section of the NYSC law also prescribes three-year jail term or option of N5,000 fine for anyone who contravenes the provision of the law.

In subsection 4 of the same section, giving false information or obtaining the agency’s certificate illegally is criminal with a jail sentence of up to three-years.

Pulse reached out to Special Adviser Media and Communication to the Minister, Mr Akintunde, for a response but got none as the calls made to his mobile phone were not answered. A text message was sent to him and he is yet to respond as at the time of filing this report.