Sir Olayinka Agbetuyi,
Surprise, surprise! Or, as di buk pipul dem sey, "Wonders never cease!" :
Mailafia Obadiah for president?
What are his chances in the North?
Surely, not a single herdsman, Jihadist Muslim or member of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association is going to vote for him!
But, who says "it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good" ?
I don't suppose that you also want to beat Brother Buhari for the presidency in February?
But back to the other matter. The bagatelle. In a nutshell, one word : in Russian it's nyet and in American street English I suppose it's nix. NO ! Technically speaking, our Honourable Sister Kemi Adeosun did not need any exemption certificate and that should have been the end of the matter. Moreover, in my humble opinion she should not have resigned at all....
When we have English as the official language and as the language of the Nigerian Constitution and the Law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (the Sharia Law too?), it should appear that no concessions are to be made to local/ regional Naija inflections when interpreting any infractions of the said law or in the interpretation of any personal intentions expressed in that official lingo as opposed to a personal language , with or without poetic licence – as in this case, my own personal choice of words and my own open-ended intended or unintended meanings, taxing anyone's patience but hopefully not my own freedom of imagination, speech, freedom to reason...
Finance Minister's Kemi Adeosun's letter of resignation is written in her mother tongue English. It's clear and concise enough and should be so – should be read in the spirit which she intends it to be read , even for some of her persecutors who see only evil intent when there is none. It has gone public and therefore subject to any kind of just or unjust, competent and incompetent ignoramus scrutiny by any number of PhDs from Ibadan, Oxbridge or Seattle.
Early eighteenth century Pope (the same one who wrote " A little learning is a dang'rous thing") was only being ironic and sarcastic, devious and a little mischievous when he penned these lines from his An Essay on Criticism
"A perfect judge will read each work of wit
With the same spirit that its author writ..."
because they have been so variously understood and widely misunderstood. In any case not even the most vicious of the snakes wants to allege that Mrs Kemi Adeosun's letter of resignation is a forgery penned by one Mr. Muhammadu Buhari...
Getting to the heart of "the crux of the matter in Adeosun's claim." is what not only trivialises Brother Kperogi's usual passion and the usual bluster in making a mountain out of such a molehill matter, it also nullifies it. Indeed, he spends, has spent and in all probability will spend an inordinate amount of time in defecating on each and every icon ( especially Nigerian icons) , just like the true iconoclast that he is, sitting in his armchair in Georgia, he doesn't spare anyone: from his bombastic lambasting of Nigeria's First Lady and what he refers to as "Aisha Buhari's Embarrassing Grammatical Infelicities at USIP" through pillorying what he believes to bePresident Trump's alleged grammatical inadequacies and his alleged " infelicities in language" ( as if he thinks Trump gives a darn about what coons think – in any language, apart from maybe, Chinese, Farsi or Korean – he probably believes that the language that Nigerians speak is called " Nigerian" ) but standing on a higher moral and grammatical plane he deigns to review his own President Buhari's alleged occasionally inappropriate turn of phrase and alleged grammatical mishaps and whilst beating his own breast ( chest) he himself stands tall singing Stevie Wonder's song
"Weak ones standing tall
I will watch them fall"
That is his bring 'em all down syndrome, his own downs syndrome ( no pun or joking matter) – but to do him justice we should move from style to content, from the psychological to the grammatical, from the grammar of being to his own one-man's statistical consensus on what infallibly constitutes an acceptable bastard Naija English grammatology , in fact , if you would only permit me to relish a moment thinking about mad cows and Englishmen, I would like to see a similar map ( not this one, but something more like this in the kind of referendum being recommended by those shooting from the anus and by the Adepojus and the cantankerous pidgins and cockroaches....
If all of the above is far too depressing, here someone to cheer you up
On Sunday, 23 September 2018 21:28:27 UTC+2, OLAYINKA AGBETUYI wrote:
Let us address the crux of the matter in Adeosuns claim.
Can someone enlighten me: Does the Constitution expressly stipulate that in order to become a state commissioner or a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria he or she if a graduate must have served in the NYSC or have applied for and received an NYSC exempt certificate?
In other words if Kemi Adeosun graduated at age 22 in the UK flies home at the age of 32 applies for citizenship and the application was granted; is affluent enough through legitimate means not to need to work; plunges into politics as one of the financiers of his party and is appointed one of the ministers, would a crime have been commited if the appointment is taken? (No Service ; no exemption certificate)
OAA
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
-------- Original message --------From: Olabisi Dare <bisi...@gmail.com>Date: 22/09/2018 00:19 (GMT+00:00)Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - On the Resignation of Kemi AdeosunasFinance Minister
Dear Prof,It is sad that Kemi Adeoshun actually acted recklessly. She should have presented herself at the NYSC office and save herself all the embarrassment.Second, by virtue of Nigeria's constitution, Kemi upon birth automatically acquires Nigerian citizenship through parentage just as she acquired British citizenship jus soleil.So she could not have been Greek for all anyone cared.The men's rea here that meets with actus rea for a crime to exist lies in that definition of recklessness, confirmed by R v. Olugboji. Point is, by employing agents to do that which she is supposed to do in person, suggests that she cannot careless the consequence of such an action, she just want to obtain the certificate.I like Ms Adeoshun but 'am afraid.......
Sent from my iPhoneKennedy.
You seem to miss the point. Was an exemption certificate necessary for Kemi Adeosun when she was no longer a youth when she returned after her studies abroad? I just read the link to the Act.
What do you mean she could arrange to do her service when she was no longer eligible to do any service in view of her age by the time she returned to Nigeria?
How can you be so categorical that SHE forged the certificate herself? Provide the proof for your claim!
Because she did not want to provide names of associates in order not to compromise their career or government is that by itself an admission of guilt? ( You have been described as a barrister) I know that government officials DO work through associates in view of their heavy schedules.
You said the NYSC authorities ought to be commended for not following through with Mrs Adeosuns request which they received ( on the premise they did not issue her certificate). How so?
OAA.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
-------- Original message --------From: 'Kennedy Emetulu' via USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafric...@googlegroups.com >Date: 19/09/2018 07:41 (GMT+00:00)Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - On the Resignation of Kemi Adeosunas Finance Minister
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Professor Aluko,
Thank you for your latest response. I didn't spend anytime "crafting" my five questions to you because they're just the natural questions that came to mind after reading your earlier response to me. Answering them would have helped the cause of understanding in this debate. But, I respect the fact that you have chosen to move on, even if in doing so, you've left me with an article by my brother, Tope Popoola. As you know, I've dispassionately addressed some of the issues he's raised in my response to you.
Professor Aluko, for many Nigerians, Diaspora and home-based, serving Nigeria is a labour of love. We know we have many issues, but we must not confuse things. We cannot always be wheeling out our well-known social problems as a fit-all response in defence of persons who've made evidently poor judgment in public service. This whole canonisation of Kemi Adeosun is not in the interest of propriety. Sure, there is room for sympathy, but none for sentiments in analysing the issues involved.
Mr Popoola's many troubles with the Nigerian culture of fakery is everyday stuff, but his problem with the NYSC is a unique one and certainly not comparable to Adeosun's. It does not reflect well on the NYSC that a citizen after service has no Discharge Certificate, but we thank God that they at least gave him a letter of attestation which serves the same purpose as a Discharge Cerificate. Of course, this isn't in any way a defence of the NYSC's handling of his issue, it's just a fact that we need to recognise when attempting a comparison with Adeosun's situation.
Let me now use this opportunity to respond to some of the questions raised by Mr Popoola. I hope my intervention will help us understand the issues better.
"1. If indeed, Kemi applied for an exemption as confirmed by NYSC, how long does it take for NYSC to give a response, positive or negative to such a request? If she hadn't, I would have been worried. But she did! Kemi served as Commissioner for Finance in Ogun State for FOUR years and another THREE as Minister at the Federal level and yet, no official response to her request! I can identify with that. NYSC NEVER replied any of my enquiries on the whereabouts of my Discharge Certificate almost forty years ago till today!"
Mr Popoola's experience with the NYSC is different from Kemi Adeosun's. Mr Popoola actually served and even though he was not given a Discharge Certificate, he got a letter of attestation that serves the same purpose. Kemi Adeodun's letter is not relevant because that is not the way prospective Corps members and persons qualified for exemption are mobilized. What Kemi ought to have done was present her credentials to the NYSC and report for mobilization. The NYSC system would therefrom determine her status and give her a Certificate of Exemption once it is determined from the information provided that she is qualified for exemption.
In her case, she is not qualified for exemption because she finished her degree programme at 22. So, what she ought to have done once she decided to come home was arrange for her NYSC service time, after reporting for orientation, to be served with her company while she was in the private sector. Instead, what she did was ignore it because she saw no need for it at the time. But once she knew she was going to be appointed a Commissioner, which would require a public presentation of her credentials, she chose the ill-advised route of presenting a forged Certificate of Exemption. She was able to get away with it twice when she presented it because she had people covering up for her in the system. It's only come to light now because Premium Times made it their duty to expose her. She was forced to resign because of public outcry.
"2. Could a staff of NYSC have scammed Kemi, taking advantage of her naivety, to produce and present the forged certificate to her, purporting it to be the response of the NYSC to her request, a possible reason why she did not bother to pursue the matter further with NYSC?"
No. In this very case, the NYSC authorities ought to be commended because they rebuffed pressures to cover up for her. I know this as a matter of fact because I have followed the matter closely. No NYSC staff was mentioned or implicated in any way. The forged Certificate of Exemption did not come from the NYSC, so the question of any NYSC staff scamming her does not arise. Kemi Adeosun in her letter of resignation said some associates gave her guidance and advice, but she never mentioned the names of these associates neither did she say they procured the forged Certificate of Exemption for her. The only name mentioned is Kemi Adeosun's. If indeed anyone helped her to forge the Certificate of Exemption or helped procure it, she should mention these persons. She cannot just say she was misled by associates she trusted without mentioning their names or the role they played in the saga. It's not difficult to see why we cannot believe her just like that.
"3. Did Kemi, not having lived or operated in Nigeria before she was headhunted by Governor Ibikunle Amosun, have a way of knowing what an authentic exemption certificate looks like for her to discern that the one she got was fake? I have lived in Nigeria all my life, used several cars, renewed several driver's licenses over a 36-year period, yet, I was scammed by officials of the relevant agencies!"
Kemi knows the Certificate of Exemption in her possession is fake. She procured a fake Certificate of Exemption to clinch the Commissionership and later the ministerial appointment and she did so because those who should be vetting the documents were protecting her. The only reason the rest of us have come to know about it now after years of cover-up is because Premium Times exposed her.
"4. Was it out of place for Kemi to have relied on the certificate she was given, especially when there was no subsequent communication from NYSC granting or refusing her exemption?"
Certificate given by who? As I explained, the NYSC does not mobilize prospective Corps members or those eligible for exemption through letters. She was not given any Exemption Certificate by the NYSC. Unlike, Mr Popoola who actually served and who in the account of his victimhood with fake service providers showed that he would go to any length to get the right thing, Mrs Adeosun did not even visit the NYSC at all. I mean, what does that say? She did not even tell us that anyone procured this forged Certificate of Exemption for her. It's obvious she forged it herself and had hoped to get away with it. She did for sometime because with big political lords as godfathers, she was 'protected'. But excellent investigative journalism from Premium Times exposed her. Mr Popoola was a victim throughout his ordeals, but Mrs Adeosun was not a victim. She was a perpetrator who got away with it for years as Commissioner in Ogun State and Minister of the Federal Republic with everything that comes with that. She has profited immensely from her criminality.
Below is a link to an interview with Anthony Ani, a former Director of Mobilization at the National Youth Service Corps(NYSC) explaining how mobilization is done and how Certificates of Exemption are procured. Also below is a link to the NYSC Act. People should read and understand that what Mrs Adeosun is talking is pure bullshit. I mean, it's obvious that she knew she had to do the one year NYSC programme when she came to the country. But she didn't do it while working in the private sector because while there, she didn't have to submit anything for public scrutiny. But as soon as it became clear she was going to be a Commissioner in Ogun State, she procured a forged one.
https://www.thecable.ng/dont-
apply-exemption-certificate- says-ex-nysc-director
http://lawnigeria.com/
LawsoftheFederation/NATIONAL- YOUTH-SERVICE-CORPS-ACT.html
"5. Is the NYSC not complicit in the entire process? If you ask me, I think that the NYSC is the real culprit here! That body has a case to answer!"
The NYSC has discharged itself creditably. They were not involved at any level and they have done well to rebuff the attempts to compromise them over this matter.
"6. Would Kemi, with her pedigree and her exposure, have deliberately committed a fraud over an exemption certificate? I doubt it. She never claimed that she served. Her claim was that she sought an exemption. NYSC confirmed that much".
Kemi knew what she was doing. She wanted the job of Commissioner and the only thing that could have stopped her was the lack of a Discharge Certificate or Certificate of Exemption. She forged the latter to clinch the job and later to also clinch the job of Minister of Finance. She could not have been a Commissioner or Minister without the Exemption Certificate. People should be worried that she was able to scam the nation for more than 7 years.
"7. Why the special focus on Kemi? Why did the story break just shortly after her tiff with the Senate as well as NNPC and its opaque operations? It reminds one very rudely of Lamido Sanusi's travails. He was hailed as the whiz kid of Nigerian banking until he started prying into NNPC issues! He was promptly pilloried and sacrificed. Ditto Nuhu Ribadu, czar of anti-corruption, poster boy of institutional probity, until he started trying to fish in 'sacred' waters! Coincidence? A Presidential aide, Okoi Obono-Obla has allegedly had his Secondary School Leaving Certificate repudiated by WAEC. He continues to be on the roll of Nigerian lawyers and a presidential Special Adviser. It has not generated the same hoopla as Kemi's case has. Yet, thankfully, none of Kemi's academic credentials is suspect".
First, this is a conspiracy theory. Kemi's situation is not comparable to Lamido Sanusi's or Ribadu's. She wasn't exactly a revolutionary figure within the government dreaded by any special interest. She was just there being a conformist, doing the biddings of her godfathers. We have heard reports that during her Senate hearings, there were persons who knew of the forged Certificate of Exemption and who blackmailed her to get confirmation. So, she has friends amongst them and was never at loggerheads with them. I mean, even if she was, it does not justify the fact that she actually used a forged Certificate of Exemption to get two top jobs in the public service. Nobody planted it on her; she procured it and she's used it to benefit herself at the expense of the nation.
People have not focused on her specially. The public have also been calling for the sack of Obono-Obla and Louis Edozien, but Kemi Adeosun is the most high-profile of the lot. To me, what is obvious is that the resignation became necessary, not only because of public outcry, but because it also played nicely into the hands of the hegemonists in the administration. Just imagine the outcome of it all. Zainab Ahmed, Nasir el-Rufai's sister who is the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning has now taken over the Finance ministry and Ogun State has lost its constitutional place in the federal cabinet. Who is the winner now if not the hegemonists?
"8. If indeed Kemi carried a British passport until the age of 34, would it then be right to technically refer to her as a Nigerian until that time when she chose dual citizenship by obtaining a Nigerian passport? Lawyers can help me out here. I want to be educated".
I have responded to this question in my first response to you. Earlier in the evening, I also responded to Feyi Fawehinmi in the link below. Please, note that apart from my initial response to Feyi, several other explanatory posts followed in the course of the discussion. The position is clear. Kemi has always been a Nigerian citizen since birth irrespective of when she chose to collect her passport.
https://www.facebook.com/
FeyiF/posts/10160842044400503? __tn__=-UC-R
"Until I have reason to be otherwise convinced, going by my experiences shared in the first and second parts of this write-up, I believe that Kemi Adeosun, like many other Nigerians, including possibly YOU reading this, was just a pawn in a chess game where the Grand Masters have learnt to prey on the intelligence of a people who hardly interrogate issues beyond hype and hoopla, even when they themselves are also mere pawns".
Kemi was no pawn. She's a failed Grandmaster. The truth isn't that complicated.
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