The Presidency today, described the case of the alleged certificate forgery involving  Honourable Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun as a non-corruption matter.

Mrs Adeosun was alleged to have forged a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)certificate according to an investigation by an online newspaper, Premium Times.

Naija News recalls Professor Itse Sagay, chairman of Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) had said the minister should not be sacked because ‘she’s damn good’. He further claimed it is irrelevant if she didn’t do the mandatory youth service.

However Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on Media and Publicity while speaking on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily, stated that the case was not a corruption matter. He further noted that Professor Itse Sagay’s comments were his personal opinion and not the stance of the President.

‘It was a personal comment, that is not the position of the Government and Professor Sagay has a right to his opinion.

“It will not be down the aisle of Professor Sagay to advise on that matter because it is not a corruption matter so to speak.”

Section 13 of the NYSC law prescribes punishment for anyone who absconds from the scheme or forges its certificates, while eligible Nigerians who skipped the service are liable to be sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and/or N2, 000 fine.

Section 13 (3) of the law also prescribes three-year jail term or option of N5, 000 fine for anyone who contravenes the provision of the law as is alleged Mrs Adeosun has done.

Subsection 4 of the same section also criminalises giving false information or illegally obtaining the agency’s certificate. It provides for up to a three-year jail term for such offenders.

Meanwhile sources have claimed that the Presidency could be considering granting the minister clemency for the forgery case ‘in view of the great works she has done for government — bailing out the country from recession and stabilizing the economy.’

Legal practitioners on their part are saying only after a proof that  the alleged forgery is false, will the Minister be exonerated.