Respond or resign – CACOL tells minister

chika ebuzor

July 9, 2018 7:20 PM

According to CACOL’s Executive Chairman, Debo Adeniran said the report has opened Adeosun to blackmail by the National Assembly.

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, (CACOL), has called on the minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun to respond to a recent report about her or resign.

According to Premium Times, the minister reportedly forged her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) exemption certificate.

The report also said that Adeosun’s certificate of exemption, dated September 9, 2009, was signed by Yusuf Bomoi, a former Director-General of the corp, who had stepped down from the NYSC eight months earlier in January.

According to Daily Post, CACOL’s Executive Chairman, Debo Adeniran said the report has opened Adeosun to blackmail by the National Assembly.

“What should not be encouraged, under any guise, is a reign of impunity as the country steers towards consolidation of its democratic culture. This scandal in which Mrs Adeosun is presently enmeshed is a vindication of CACOL’s position taken as far back as 2015 that she was not morally upright to hold public office based on her past.

“We recollect that this scandal- which was first broken by PremiumTimesOnline Newspaper-had resulted in the Finance Minister becoming vulnerable to blackmail from members of the National Assembly.

“She was reported to have approved fictitious budget heads on several occasions and actually authorized the disbursement of huge sums of money that were not approved by President Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly. If this is found to be true, it is not only criminal but a clear violation of fiscal discipline and accountability."

Buhari should say something

Adeniran also called on President Buhari to take action, saying that it will send a message that he does not condone criminal acts.

He said “It is in this regard that we, therefore, call on President Buhari to immediately wade into this matter by suspending Mrs. Kemi Adeosun from her position as the Minister of Finance in order to allow full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the forgery allegation and misappropriation of funds under her Ministry.

“This is necessary to reinforce public confidence and send a clear signal that no criminal conduct would be tolerated by this government.

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“The nation is presently facing a lot of challenges which require the present administration’s undivided attention-ranging from Fulani herdsmen-farmers crisis to banditry, social dislocation and economic crunch and cannot, therefore, afford to be bogged down by any distractions or controversy arising from the recklessness of any public official.

“Our current situation as a nation demands that public officers serving the current government should be seen to be above board in implementing the administration’s Change agenda. Public officers are also compulsorily required to demonstrate transparency, responsibility and accountability in steering the ship of state.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has also called on President Buhari to sack the finance minister following the reports.

The Special Adviser Media and Communication to the Minister, Mr Oluyinka Akintunde has not responded to the text message sent to him after several calls from Pulse.

chika ebuzor