Minister of Finance of Nigeria Withdraws from Counterfeit Certificates

Minister of Finance of Nigeria Withdraws from Counterfeit Certificates

Nigerian Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun resigned on charges he used counterfeit certificates to avoid the obligation to serve in a youth organization in the past.

Adeosun lived in England until the age of 34 years. He claimed to have been informed that he did not need to enter the Nigerian National Youth Corps because he was more than 30 years old.

The former banker claimed to have obtained a certificate from the corps, and believed it to be genuine.

Minister of Finance of Nigeria Withdraws from Counterfeit Certificates

But an internal investigation said the certificate was fake.

Adeosun's resignation came after speculation on Nigerian social media in recent months, which doubted the authenticity of the certificate.

Initially, Adeosun didn't comment. This sparked criticism from the opposition.

In an official statement, Adesoun felt the need to resign because the results of the investigation regarding the certificate were publicly known.

"This case surprised me. In accordance with the integrity focus of this government, I feel the need to resign," Adeosun said, as quoted from BBC news agency, Saturday, September 15, 2018.

Having dual citizenship in Britain and Nigeria, Adeosun was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari as Minister of Finance of Nigeria in 2015. His main policy was to increase tax revenue and improve coordination between government institutions.

The Nigerian presidential office said Adeosun would be replaced by Minister of Budget Planning and National Zainab Ahmed.

In the rules in Nigeria, a university graduate must serve at the National Youth Corps for one year. The aim of this scheme is to ensure all university graduates contribute to Nigeria's development efforts.