‘You shouldn’t have resigned over NYSC controversy,’ court tells ex-finance minister
A Federal High Court Abuja on Wednesday, held that former Nigerian Finance Minister, Mrs Kemi Adeosun ought not to have resigned from office over the controversy that trailed her inability to possess a valid National Youth Corps Service Scheme (NYSC) certificate.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo, in a judgment, declared that Adeosun was not qualified to have participated in the scheme when she graduated at 22 years because she was then a British citizen.
The judge further held that when she formally returned to Nigeria, and became a Nigerian citizen citizen,at over 30 years, she was not eligible to present herself for the NYSC service.
Justice Taiwo then ruled that the plaintiff or anyone else did not require a discharge certificate of NYSC to qualify to contest election to the House of Representatives or be appointed a Minister in Nigeria.
He, therefore, granted the four reliefs sought by the plaintiff, to include “a declaration that the plaintiff,being a United Kingdom citizen as at 1989 when she graduated from the University of East London, London, United Kingdom at 22, she was ineligible to participate in the National Youth Service Corps scheme, established by the National Youth Service Corps Act, CAP N8, LFN, 2004.”
Periscope International recalls that Adeosun, after resigning from office, filed a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/303/2021, praying the court to grant the said reliefs over the controversy, with the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as the sole defendant.
Reacting to the judgment, the former finance minister said that she was elated and vindicated by the outcome of the case which she filed to clear herself of any wrongdoing.
