Falana Blasts NYSC For Withholding Corps Member’s Discharge Certificate
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has condemned the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for withholding the discharge certificate of a Lagos-based corps member, Ushie Uguamayei, popularly known as Raye, over her criticism of the Bola Tinubu administration’s economic policies.
In a statement on Sunday, Falana described the decision as “a cheap demonstration of overzealousness”, stressing that the seizure of the certificate was illegal and not backed by any court order.
He likened the incident to the 1988 case of the late Bamidele Aturu, whose discharge certificate was seized by the NYSC for rejecting the Best Corps Member award to avoid shaking hands with the then military governor of Niger State, Lt. Col. Lawan Gwadabe. Falana said such acts belonged to the era of military rule under Ibrahim Babangida, when human rights were routinely trampled upon.
“Since Nigeria is under a democratic government, Rita Uguamayei’s fundamental right to criticise the government is guaranteed by Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution. It is also worth reminding the NYSC authorities of President Bola Tinubu’s Democracy Day speech, where he cautioned public officers against suppressing dissent and warned that silencing critical voices could lead to unrest and undermine democracy,” Falana said.
He urged the NYSC to release Uguamayei’s discharge certificate without delay, adding that the President himself had stated that no citizen should suffer injustice for merely expressing a negative opinion about him or his administration.
OSUN DEFENDER recalls that Raye gained widespread attention after posting a viral TikTok video in which she lamented Nigeria’s worsening economic conditions, decried high inflation, and accused the government of failing to ease the hardship faced by citizens.
In the video, she described President Tinubu as a “terrible leader” and questioned his commitment to addressing the plight of ordinary Nigerians.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
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