Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have condemned the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for withholding the discharge certificate of Lagos-based corps member, Ushie Rita Uguamaye, popularly known as Raye.
Falana described the NYSC’s decision as “overzealous” and “illegal,” stressing that no competent court had authorised such an action. He likened the move to the 1988 incident where the NYSC seized the discharge certificate of the late Bamidele Aturu after he rejected the “Best Corper Award” for refusing to shake hands with then military governor of Niger State, Lt. Col. Lawan Gwadabe.
“This was during the Ibrahim Babangida military regime when human rights were trampled upon. But Nigeria is now under a democratic government, and Ms. Uguamaye’s right to criticise the government is fully protected under Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution,” Falana stated.
He reminded the NYSC of President Bola Tinubu’s Democracy Day address, where the president warned public officials against suppressing dissent, noting that silencing critical voices could destabilise democracy. According to Falana, the President had said, “While slander and libel must not go unaddressed, no one should suffer injustice for simply writing a negative report about me or calling me names.”“
In line with the President’s call for constructive criticism, the NYSC should immediately release Rita Uguamaye’s discharge certificate without delay,” Falana urged. Atiku Abubakar also weighed in, demanding that the certificate be issued without political bias.
“What manner of impunity is this? Everything must not be politicised. I hope Ms. Uguamaye’s discharge certificate is not being withheld simply because she spoke out about the economic hardship under the Tinubu administration,” Atiku said.
