Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court on Wednesday, declared that the former Finance Minister, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, did not need the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC) discharge certificate to take up ministerial appointment in the country.
Adeosun had resigned her appointment as Minister of Finance and returned to the United Kingdom following controversy surrounding her NYSC status. She was accused of presenting a fake NYSC discharge certificate.
She however instituted a suit against the federal government which also joined the Attorney General of the Federation.
Delivering judgment in the suit Justice Taiwo who granted all the reliefs prayed by the plaintiff noted that Adeosun, who graduated in a London University in 1989, was already 36 years old and in line with the requirements of the scheme was exempted from service.
According to the judge, available fact before him proved that the former minister was a United Kingdom citizen having been born there in 1967 and remained there till 2003 when she came back to Nigeria.
He noted further that Adeosun became a Nigerian citizen by virtue of the 1999 Constitution which came into force on May 29, 1999 and therefore was not affected by the NYSC Act.
Justice Taiwo said that Adeosun would have committed a grave crime against Nigeria, if she had participated in the NYSC having attained the exemption age of 36 years.
