The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and two civil society organisations, the Socio-Economic Right and Accountability Project and the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, commended the resignation of the minister, noting however that such step must be followed by her invitation by the appropriate security agencies for investigation and prosecution, if found culpable.
The PDP said Adeosun’s resignation was even belated, asking why the President refused to fire the minister until she willingly resigned on her own volition after the media exposed her fake NYSC certificate.
The national chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, who spoke with one of our correspondents in Abuja on Friday, asked Nigerians not to be deceived by the resignation.
He said the resignation of the minister was not at the instance of either the President or his minister, but added that it was due to public pressure.
Secondus said, “The resignation is belated. Why did the President keep her all this while when the scandal broke out?
“Why didn’t he, I mean the President, asked that the woman be investigated and even suspended if he was serious about the fight against corruption?
“We are aware of some lawyers that mounted pressure on the Presidency before the woman was forced to resign. The forced resignation was because of the 2019 presidential election, which we all know the President will lose.
“But if the President is serious, he should have asked the Minister of justice, Abubakar Malami, to order the prosecution of the minister and all those that helped her to procure the fake NYSC discharge certificate.”
Secondus added that the much-touted war against corruption by the President was a ruse, asking why the President had refused to also order investigation into a fake West Africa Examination Certificate being allegedly paraded by another presidential appointee.
The SERAP Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said, “Adeosun was alleged to have forged an NYSC exemption certificate. What should have happened immediately was for her to come clean and let Nigerians know her position. Actually, that did not happen. What the Federal Government ought to have done was to take the job off her while she sorts out the certificate scandal.
“What transparency and accountability demand in a democracy is that whoever is alleged to have committed an offence should be investigated and taken to court.”
Also, the CACOL Director, Debo Adeniran, said, “Her resignation is not enough. She should be handed over to the appropriate law enforcement agency for further investigation and necessary prosecution. This is because she could have committed forgery and lied on oath.
Adeosun was supposed to attend the West African Monetary Zone 2018 mid-year statutory meetings which held in Abuja on Friday but was absent.
She was represented at the meeting by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Mahmoud Dutse.
The meeting which is being attended by Central Bank Governors under the West African Monetary Zone was to discuss the progress so far made by ECOWAS countries in preparation of the single currency regime.
One of our correspondents who was at the ministry observed that as of 9:16pm, the finance minister was still in her office.
It was learnt that she was tidying up her handover notes in preparation for her exit from the ministry.
Attempts to get comments from Adeosun were not successful as called sent to her mobile phone were not picked while a message sent to her had yet to be responded to as of 9:38pm.
Source: Punch