“I hope that Ushie Rita Uguamayei’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.”
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) of unlawfully withholding the discharge certificate of Ushie Rita Uguamayei, known online as Raye, who recently criticised the government.
Uguamayei, who served in Lagos, said she has yet to receive her certificate, while the NYSC claimed her service was extended by two months. The move came months after her viral comments on President Bola Tinubu’s handling of the economy.
Atiku condemned the action as “impunity,” writing on X: “Everything should not be subjected to politics. I hope that Ushie Rita Uguamayei’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.”
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana described the NYSC’s action as “overzealousness” and “illegal,” citing no court order for the seizure. He referenced the 1988 Bamidele Aturu case and reminded the NYSC of Section 39 of the Constitution and President Tinubu’s Democracy Day warning that “no one should suffer injustice for simply writing a negative report about me or calling me.”