Ex-NYSC director says Kemi Adeosun’s exemption certificate is fake

A retired Director of Mobilisation at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Anthony Ani, has given reasons the purported ‘Certificate of Exemption’ owned by Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, is not genuine and “wouldn’t have emanated from the NYSC”.

Adeosun was alleged to have skipped the mandatory NYSC year and went ahead to procure a certificate to cover her tracks.

She is yet to respond to the allegations since they became public last weekend.

Ani, who appeared on Channels Television’s breakfast show, Sunrise Daily, said the certificate had footprints of a fake NYSC certificate.

He insisted that there was no way NYSC would issue Certificate of Exemption to anyone who graduated before 30 years.

“You don’t apply for either NYSC certificate or NYSC certificate of national service or certificate of exemption, you present yourself for mobilisation. The system will determine whether you are to be exempted or you are not to be exempted,” Ani said.

Answering another question, he insisted that “[by] the NYSC procedure, you don’t apply for exemption and expect a certificate. You make yourself available [for mobilisation], when you are mobilised, those who are to be exempted are exempted and those who are to be deployed are deployed.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung has summoned the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Suleiman Kazaure, over the controversy trailing the authenticity of the Exemption Certificate tendered by Kemi Adeosun.

Dalung explained that the summon was for Kazaure to brief him over the on-going investigation into the allegation of certificate forgery against the Finance Minister.

Dalung noted that it was puerile for the Federal Government to speak or act on the allegation without having a proper grasp of the facts of the matter.

He told reporters in Abuja yesterday: “Adeosun’s alleged certificate forgery? I just invited the DG of NYSC. I will listen to him on what exactly is going on the matter.

“Since, the exemption certificate saga began, I have not been around. So, I am not in the true picture of what is actually going on. I can’t make a statement yet.

“If NYSC is truly investigating the matter, the DG will tell me. Only, then can the federal government take a stand and issue a statement. Since, I have not been briefed, it will be immature to say anything.”