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Critics have been advised to stop the campaign against the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, over National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) exemption certificate, alleging it is a conspiracy to distract and tarnish her reputation.
The Coalition of Civil Society Groups (CCSG), which gave the advice, noted that in NYSC, there is no caveat on age and time to request for exemption letter if one is above 30 years, adding that the scheme is primarily to inculcate in youths the spirit of selfless service to the nation.
In a statement signed by Emmanuel Bako, Mike Olorunfemi, Nnamdi Okoroji, Lillian Cosmas, Fred Okoliko and Bashir Abubakar after their meeting in Lagos yesterday, they urged the public to discard stories trailing the news space.
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According to them, the youth service is also meant to emphasise and promote the spirit of oneness and brotherhood of all Nigerians, irrespective of cultural or social background.
They maintained that foreign graduates are not mobilised from the school of study directly but by application by interested persons.
“To approve and exempt any person is not bound by time if the circumstances surrounding it are considered cogent by the directorate. It would be out of place to condemn the minister’s sincere gesture for not applying for it.
“It is based on this that we are bold to say that the hullaballoo occasioned by the media publication was done in bad faith and to cause unnecessary distraction.”
The coalition argued that the minister is not guilty for staying back after her studies as long as the reasons for doing so are reasonable and justifiable.
“We applaud her achievements in the Finance Ministry and urge her not to lose concentration but make more effort in properly repositioning the economy for the betterment of Nigerians.”
