Twitter, Inc. on Thursday announced the appointments of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Robert Zoellick to Twitter’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) as new independent directors, effective immediately.
“Ngozi and Bob are distinguished leaders with unparalleled global perspective and policy expertise,” said Omid Kordestani, Executive Chairman of Twitter.
“We are confident they will be incredible assets to Twitter as we continue to focus on driving transparency and making Twitter a safer, healthier place for everyone who uses our service”, the statement added.
SIGNAL broke the news on Nigerian cyberspace Thursday night and Twitter Nigeria immediately erupted with accolades to the former Managing Director of World Bank and Nigeria’s immediate past Minister of Finance.
BREAKING | @Twitter Appoints Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala [@NOIweala] to Board of Directors https://t.co/RWgmJVmb0X pic.twitter.com/AI8ifGpK6A
— SIGNAL (@thesignalng) July 19, 2018
In the euphoria of congratulatory messages to Okonjo-Iweala tweeted by Nigerians across the world, some Nigerian Twitter users also seized the moment to lampoon her successor in the Nigerian Ministry of Finance, Ms. Kemi Adeosun who has been embroiled in a certificate forgery scandal that has cast a huge slur on the anti-corruption and integrity posturing of the President Muhammadu Buhari led federal government.
Adeosun, did not participate in the mandatory one-year national youth service scheme. Instead, she forged an exemption certificate many years after graduation, according to online newspaper Premium Times who broke the news of the certificate scandal.
The one year service, organised by the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), is compulsory for all Nigerians who graduate from universities or equivalent institutions at less than 30 years of age.
In addition to being a requirement for government and private sector jobs in Nigeria, the enabling law prescribes punishment for anyone who absconds from the scheme or forges its certificates.
Eligible Nigerians who skipped the service are liable to be sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and/or N2,000 fine, according to Section 13 of the NYSC law.
Section 13 (3) of the law also prescribes three-year jail term or option of N5,000 fine for anyone who contravenes provision of the law as Adeosun has done.
Subsection 4 of the same section also criminalises giving false information or illegally obtaining the agency’s certificate. It provides for up to three-year jail term for such offenders.
Whereas the NYSC has come out to say that Adeosun actually applied for an exemption certificate, it also added that it was probing the origin of her allegedly forged certificate. Curiously, the Minister has not uttered a word since the news of her certificate forgery broke. Equally, the Buhari Presidency has maintained a deafening silence.
In the wake of Okonjo-Iweala’s Twitter appointment, some Nigerians have not been so kind to Adeosun, wondering how Nigeria crashed from ‘Okonjo-Iweala’ to ‘Adeosun’. Read some tweets below:
Buhari let this wonderful woman leave so bad, instead he brought one olodo kemi Adeosun that put Nigeria into recession. It’s well https://t.co/BCJUFbRemb
— Olamide (@BrianMide) July 20, 2018
Lol, ‘corruption’ keeps winning, whilst ‘integrity’ is still looking for her certificate. https://t.co/6wXNdIEOxd
— ðèjåvü (@free2deji) July 20, 2018
Aunty @HMKemiAdeosun your senior is now on board of Twitter, have you seen your NYSC certificate so we can appoint you on the board of 2go to Daura come 2019?
— LEAH SHARIBU★ (@biffamna) July 20, 2018
And your British accent minister cannot even provide her NYSC certificate. https://t.co/sJai6htHTL
— Uche Samuel (@uchesame) July 19, 2018
This is the same person BMC clowns and Twitter herdsmen compare with their Forgery Minister. https://t.co/IHaPp0lXT6
— Baba Layole (@hiskenny09) July 19, 2018
People with original certificate! https://t.co/L4pK3euqLN
— Chief of Lazy Nigerian Youth (@OpuiyoMike) July 19, 2018
Original certificate! ✌
NOI is the real deal!
???????????? https://t.co/7yQWs0nTUS— SavePlateauLives (@faith_anza) July 19, 2018
Mama wey get correct certificate. https://t.co/sIG327FnDJ
— #FreeLiahSharibu (@timiakegbejo) July 19, 2018
Twitter Appoints Fmr. Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to Board of Directors.
Whereas, our current finance minister, ‘Olori’ Kemi Adeosun is acting deaf & dumb to an allegation of certificate forgery.
Can each day pass without regretting we voted out Jonathan admin? ????????????
— OLUWASAANUMI ???????? (@SanRomeo) July 19, 2018
While Adeosun struggles to clean up her certificates, Twitter snaps Okonjo Iweala as Board member.
Shoe get size Sha!— Uchenna Stephen O (@Uchez2) July 20, 2018
But on a very serious note!
How did we degenerate from Ngozi Okonjo Iweala to Kemi Adeosun
How?? ????
— KANAYO THE ???? HONNORABLE (@KANAYO_OAP) July 20, 2018
I dare Kemi Adeosun CANNOT even be a board member of ordinary ‘nairaland’ but her predecessor Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (PhD) has been appointed a board member of Twitter (one of the biggest tech firms on the globe).
Shoe get size. Good morning.
— Sunlights (@FrancisUgboko4) July 20, 2018
Ngozi Okonjo iweala after leaving Nigerian govt in 2015 has climbed to higher places , collecting awards ,heading agencies. But Buhari supporters said she is not good enough
But i know that Kemi Adeosun will go back to NYSC precisely Somewhere at Jigawa to finish her Service— Udoka Consult NJ (@udokakristian) July 20, 2018
We really dropped the ball, imagine replacing Dr Okonjo-Iweala with Kemi Adeosun. Just like selling Diego Costa and buying Morata. https://t.co/Hmge2v7JA3
— Dalai Lamba (@_ARdaniel_) July 19, 2018
We really went from Ngozi Okonjo Iweala to Kemi Adeosun. I’m sick
— The Maestro (@trap_teflonDon) July 19, 2018
Another bad day for Kemi Adeosun. Her NYSC certificate forgery scandal is back on the spotlight with Okonjo-Iweala’s appointment on twitter board.
— The African Analyst (@AfrikaAnalyst) July 19, 2018
__________
Follow us on Twitter at @thesignalng
Copyright 2018 SIGNAL. Permission to use portions of this article is granted provided appropriate credits are given to www.signalng.com and other relevant sources.