Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Sunday addressed the controversy surrounding the alleged withholding of a National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate from Ushie Rita Uguamaye, a corps member who publicly criticized economic hardship in the country.
Atiku described the situation as “unacceptable” and potentially politically motivated, stating that it is wrong to punish a citizen for exercising her right to free expression. He urged the authorities to act swiftly to resolve the issue, warning that such incidents undermine public trust in national institutions.
Atiku wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “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.”
Ushie, popularly known as Raye, had completed her one-year mandatory service in Lagos State and gained public attention after a viral video lamenting rising living costs and economic difficulties facing Nigerians.
On Saturday, she revealed on Instagram that she was denied her NYSC certificate when she went to collect it alongside her colleagues. Officials claimed she failed to do her April clearance on the scheduled date, a claim she strongly refuted, stating that she had presented herself for clearance but was repeatedly told by her Local Government Inspector to wait.
Raye alleged that the LGI later refused to clear her, seized her file, and asked her to leave the office. She expressed her frustration in a vlog, saying, “I did not get my NYSC certificate today after one year of serving this country.”
The NYSC discharge certificate is issued to Nigerian graduates who successfully complete the one-year national service. As of the time of filing this report, the NYSC board had yet to respond to the allegations.
