Kemi Adeosun NYSC Certificate Scandal: Bigger Picture Of NYSC & Nigerians Abroad

Kemi Adeosun was born, bred and brought up in the United Kingdom. She spent the first 30years of her life there. She equally had all her education in the U.K and hatched her career there, also. For clarity purposes, I understand and fully support the general opinion that she must face the law - she should never have forged it, that's criminal and totally unacceptable (albeit if the facts provided by Premium Times are totally correct).

Nevertheless, on a general note, we must also be fair to Nigerians in diaspora(those born and brought up there and perhaps to equally those who moved there as young chaps with their families in search of greener pasture). Economic and other challenges have forced many Nigerians outside of Nigeria despite the love they have for their country. Most of them got married abroad and gave birth to children who are as well very passionate about Nigeria and its development. For instance, a bright young boy born to Nigerian parents who grew up in California - graduated from Stanford and Harvard then got a Job with the United Nations. He rose through the ranks after over 15years of service. Then, at the age of 40, he plans to return to Nigeria with a view to contributing his own quota to Nigeria's development. What will be his fate having not participated in NYSC ab initio and he is over 30 years of age? Remember, he never chose to be born outside of Nigeria or live/study outside of the country.



I believe for we to attain greater heights in Nigeria, we will need our brothers and sisters making waves in other countries. We should not strike them out totally via NYSC.

While I firmly believe that Kemi Adeosun should be prosecuted if found guilty of all the allegations, we must equally look at the bigger picture here - bright young minds of Nigerian ancestry who could not serve in the NYSC must not be alienated from nation-building and national development.

The current Nigerian super eagles team is made of many players who were born to a Nigerian father by "foreign" mothers. Hence, they possess dual citizenship. Consequently, they've spent the most part of their lives abroad. Yet, they still proudly wear the green and white jersey - giving their all to their fatherland.

Today, we are always proud of Anthony Joshua, Alex Iwobi, Leon Balogun, Troost Ekong, Carl Ikeme et cetera. In fact, we are very quick and proud to link the likes of Adesanmi Mbappe, Dele Alli, Alaba(Bayern Munich player), and so many others to Nigeria because they are of Nigerian ancestry.

What of other Nigerian geniuses making waves in NASA, World Bank, United Nations, Boeing, Microsoft, Facebook, Apple,Google, Deloitte and the likes that we will need their expertise/experience in our NNPC, Ajaokuta, Nigerian Army, political offices, technological hubs and the likes in the future or even as urgent as now?

In view of all these, I posit that Kemi Adeosun should face the law but we must not alienate people of Nigerian ancestry from our public service who for one reason or the other could not make up the NYSC scheme - which itself needs to be reformed.

Nigeria needs all its best brains to be in Nigeria, now! Nothing should be a roadblock or a bottleneck.

God bless Nigeria.

Pelumi Olugbenga
7th of July,2018.