Former Vice President and opposition leader, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the alleged withholding of the discharge certificate of Ushie Rita Uguamaye, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member in Lagos.
In a statement released on Sunday, Mr. Atiku called the action an “impunity” and questioned the motives behind the delay. “What manner of impunity is this? Everything should not be subjected to politics,” he said. “I hope that Ushie Rita Uguamaye’s NYSC discharge certificate is not being withheld because she had the courage to complain about the economic hardship under the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.”
Ms. Uguamaye, who is widely known as ‘Raye’, gained public attention earlier this year after a viral TikTok video in which she criticized the Tinubu government over economic hardship and described Lagos as a “smelling state.”
She alleged over the weekend that the NYSC authorities had withheld her discharge certificate, an action she believes is in retaliation for her criticisms. In a social media video, she claimed that her Local Government Inspector (LGI) refused to clear her for April, despite her being present on the scheduled date, and that her file was subsequently seized.
Mr. Atiku described the withholding of the certificate as “unacceptable,” and urged the authorities to release her document immediately. “The young lady, who had served her country without queries, should have received her National Youth Service Corps certificate one year after passing out,” he stated. “The appropriate authorities should take urgent steps to ensure that she gets her discharge certificate.”
Renowned human rights activist Omoyele Sowore had also previously accused the NYSC of punishing Ms. Uguamaye for her criticism of the administration, a claim the NYSC has yet to respond to. When contacted on Sunday, NYSC spokesperson Edwin Megwa did not immediately respond to phone calls.
