A Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that former finance minister, Kemi Adeosun did not offend Nigerian law or contravened the constitution over lack of possession of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate, because she was not qualified for the scheme.
According to Justice Taiwo Taiwo, as of the time she graduated from a United Kingdom university at 22 in 1989, she was a British citizen who was not qualified to participate in the scheme.
The judge ruled on the originating summon with suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/303/21 brought by Wole Olanipekun on Adeosun’s behalf.
The court said she was not supposed to present herself for the scheme because under the 1979 Constitution, which was in force at the time of her graduation, she was not a Nigerian citizen either at the time of her graduation or when she turned 30.
Justice Taiwo said that Adeosun’s appointment as minister was legal despite not presenting the NYSC certificate.
The judge also ruled that since the 1979 constitution, which was in force at the time did not recognise dual citizenship, Adeosun could not have served because she was a British citizen.
Kemi Adeosun was forced to resign as minister during the heat generated by an “investigative” story, carried by an online newspaper (not Greenbarge Reporters online), on the fact that she did not go through the compulsory one year para military training, known as National Youth Service Corps.
