– The federal government says investigations are still ongoing on the allegation against finance minister, Kemi Adeosun
– Lai Mohammed says it is only with the outcome of the investigation that Muhammadu Buhari can act
– The minister argues that the president would be usurping the powers of the investigating agency if it acts now
Nigeria’s information and culture minister, Lai Mohammed, says President Muhammadu Buhari’s integrity remains intact, in spite of the allegation of certificate forgery against Kemi Adeosun.
Kemi Adeosun, the finance minister, is alleged to have forged her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) exemption letter.
Speaking on Monday, August 6, when he visited the Abuja office of The Authority Newspaper, Mohammed said the case was still under investigation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister said the appropriate agencies were still investigating the allegation against the finance minister and should be allowed to do their jobs.
“Until when an allegation is proven, you do not expect the president to act.
“The appropriate agencies have spoken and they say they are investigating. The only thing we can do is to wait.
“By saying that the minister should resign or be sacked while investigation is still ongoing may also not be feasible in our clime because of the level of false accusations.
“How many times have they accused me of embezzlement? Even recently, they said my driver jumped out of the car, abandoned me and decamped to PDP.
“People even made the allegation that President Buhari did not have certificate,” the minister said.
He insisted that the president will be usurping the powers of the investigating agencies if he sacked Adeosun before their reports.
“For instance, people have come to me that so and so TV and radio stations are spreading fake news and I should shut them down.
“I told them that I do not have the power to do so; it is the responsibility of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), even though it is an agency under my watch.
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“We are as concerned as you are; but having spent some time in government, you will see that a lot of lies are being peddled about us,” he said as he gave assurance that the government would not sweep the matter under the carpet.
NAIJ.com earlier reported that a former director general of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Maharazu Tsiga, declared that the agency could not have made the grave mistake of exempting Kemi Adeosun, Nigeria’s finance minister.
