Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the alleged withholding of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate from Rita Ushie Uguamaye, also known online as “Raye.”
The corps member had previously gone viral for criticizing the economic hardship in Nigeria.
Atiku described the situation as “unacceptable” and possibly politically motivated, urging authorities to address it without delay.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Atiku said “What manner of impunity is this? Everything should not be subjected to politics. 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.”
“It is unacceptable that the young lady, who had served her country without queries, should not have received her NYSC certificate one year after passing out. The appropriate authorities should take urgent steps to ensure that she gets her discharge certificate.”
Ushie, who served in Lagos State, revealed on Instagram that she was denied her certificate when she went to collect it with her fellow corps members. NYSC officials reportedly claimed she failed to complete her clearance for the month of April an allegation she firmly denies.
According to Ushie, she was present for the clearance but was repeatedly told by her Local Government Inspector (LGI) to wait. She alleged that the LGI eventually refused to clear her, confiscated her file, and asked her to leave the office.
In a video vlog, she said “I did not get my NYSC certificate today after one year of serving this country. I went there with my cohort, and when it got to my turn, they said, ‘No certificate for you.’”
She expressed deep frustration with the process, saying “After moving to another man’s land to serve my country, I ended up without a certificate. I genuinely wish I wasn’t a Lagos State Corper. Serving here wasn’t all pleasure.”
She added that she believed her discharge was being deliberately blocked, not due to any fault of hers, but possibly because of her public criticism of the government.
The NYSC discharge certificate is issued to graduates who successfully complete the one-year mandatory national service. As of the time of this report, the NYSC has not issued an official response to the allegations.
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