From Criticisms to Commendations: The Calm Return of Kemi Adeosun, Nigeria’s Former Finance Minister

The former minister had no other option other than to resign after an investigative report by Premium Times discovered she was using a forged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) exemption certificate.

Photo credit: Facebook/Kemi Adeosun

In her resignation letter, Ms Adeosun explained that even she was shocked to find out that the NYSC exemption certificate she had been using was fake.

If you asked for my opinion, I would say I strongly believed her. As someone who had limited knowledge of Nigeria’s system before coming down to the country to take government jobs, Ms Adeosun very likely fell victim to the criminals who have made certificates forgery a lucrative business.

However, the explanation could not save her the job. Nigerians “dragged” her weeks and the pressure was too much on the Muhammadu Buhari administration. So, she had to leave.

Photo credit: Facebook/Kemi Adeosun

One-sided justice

After Adeosun submitted her resignation letter, Nigerians moved on and forgot about another crucial part of the investigation.

According to the report, the eighth National Assembly led by Bukola Saraki knew about the fake certificate and used it to blackmail the former minister and forced her to release over N10 billion to the legislature.

Adeosun had to resign due to the forged certificate. But up till today, there was no attempt to set up an investigative panel to unravel the role of the leadership of the National Assembly in the scandal.

Photo credit: Facebook/Kemi Adeosun

Almost four years after, Adeosun returns

Around noon on Monday, June 14, I stumbled on a Facebook post by Ms Adeosun talking about the launch of a foundation. It was her first Facebook post since September 2018.

After maintaining a low-key profile since her exit, the former minister has returned to the limelight with the launching of an initiative targeted at helping vulnerable people.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo chaired the launching event.

Photo credit: Facebook/Kemi Adeosun

Nigerians react

Considering the circumstances that led to her resignation in 2018, I had thought many Nigerians would be abusing the former minister again.

However, surprisingly, more than half of the almost 1,000 comments under the Facebook post were full of commendations and praises.

One of the outstanding comments was from Jack Obinyan, a special adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state on new media.

Photo credit: Facebook/Kemi Adeosun

He congratulated Ms Adeosun on the newly launched programme just as he lamented that the rot in the nation’s system consumed the former minister at a time “she was implementing and enforcing fiscal sanity and discipline to levels we had never seen before.”

As Ms Adeosun returns to the limelight again, I hope she has learnt from the past mistake and pray that may she never be consumed by the rot in Nigeria’s system again.