Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun resigns

The Nation after holding vigil for over eight hours in the ministry finally confirmed that the finance minister Kemi Adeosun has tendered her resignation to President Muhammad’s Buhari.

Following unrelenting media blitz on Friday that she had resigned earlier in the day and the taciturn disposition of her aides to confirm or deny the media reports, sources in her office finally broke their silence and told The Nation she had resigned.

At about 5:37pm the minister of state for Budget and National Planning Mrs. Zainab Ahmed was seen driving out of the ministry with her convoy further fueling the speculation that all is not well in the ministry of finance. It is being rumoured that she will take over from Adeosun as Finance Minister.

For over eight hours, Kemi Adeosun remained behind closed doors in her office but it was later revealed that she was preparing her handing over note “especially the report on the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS)” for her successor.

When asked why Adeosun tendered her resignation letter, the source in her office said it is unconnected to the NYSC scandal but confirmed that Kemi Adeosun drew the ire of President Muhammadu Buhari for secretly releasing N16 billion to the Osun state government which many state governors objected to.

On Friday there was anxiety at the ministry as journalists thronged to the ministry to confirm the authenticity of the minister’s resignation.

At about 12 noon, journalists started trooping into the ministry to confirm the story, but all staff of the minister were seen around her office going about their duties and sniggering that “another round of fake news” was circulating.

To prove that she was in her office and still on her seat working her staff did not stop any journalist from coming to the 7th floor where the minister’s office is situated

Though her media aides did not come on record to speak to the press, they allowed journalists to see the Minister’s car port to confirm that she was on seat and has not resigned.

The confusion over her alleged resignation was heightened by her absence at the Meeting of the Convergence Council of Ministers and Governors of Central Bank of West African Monetary Zone where she was represented by the Permanent Secretary Dr. Mahmood Isa Dutse.

However some minutes after 8pm when The Nation went up to the minister’s floor to gauge the situation, the smiles had been wiped off the faces of her personal staff and many of them wore forlorn looks on the corridor.

Reacting to Adeosun’s resignation, Prof. Uçhe Uwaleke of Nasarawa state University said “the resignation of Mrs Kemi Adeosun over allegations of NYSC certificate forgery bodes well for the image of the country and so will be positive for the Nigerian economy.”

According to him, “coming shortly before the period President Buhari is expected to address the UN General Assembly, her decision to step aside will send the right signals to the International community. It goes without saying that the Ministry over which she superintends is critical to the implementation of financial reforms and this administration’s anti Corruption fight.”

Prof. Uwaleke added that “for any measure of success to be recorded, the occupant of that office must be free from moral burden. In this regard, I commend her decision. I do not see the President appointing a new person to that position given the few months left to the end of his first Term in office. I foresee a situation where the Minister of Budget and National Planning is asked to oversee the Finance Ministry for the rest of the period.”

Reacting to the Minister’s resignation, Dr. Joe Abah the Director General, Pubic Sector Reforms said, “I have just received, with sadness, news that Kemi Adeosun has resigned. She is a talented, courageous woman who drove a lot of important reforms as Minister of Finance. However, the NYSC saga had made her position untenable and the situation was only going to go from bad to worse.”