Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has called on the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) management to immediately release the NYSC Discharge Certificate of Ushie Rita Uguamaye, a Lagos youth corps member.
Falana described the decision to withhold her certificate as an illegal and unlawful act of retaliation for her public criticism of the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement on Sunday, Falana condemned the NYSC’s action, emphasising that the seizure was not authorised by any court order and is therefore unlawful.
He drew parallels with a simila incident in 1988 when the NYSC confiscated the discharge certificate of the late Bamidele Aturu for refusing to accept an award from the military governor of Niger State, highlighting that such acts were common under Nigeria’s military regimes but unacceptable in a democratic era.
He described the withholding of her certificate as “cheap demonstration of over-zealousness”.
“The seizure of the NYSC Discharge Certificate is illegal as it was not authorised by any competent court,” he said.
He said, “Indeed, it is a sad reminder of the confiscation of the NYSC Discharge Certificate of Bamidele Aturu (of blessed memory) in 1988 by the NYSC Management for rejecting the best Corper Award on the ground that he did not want to shake hands with the military Governor of Niger State, Lt. Col. Lawan Gwadabe.
“That was under the Ibrahim Babangida military junta when human rights were put in abeyance.
“Since Nigeria is under a democratic government, Rita Uguamayei’s fundamental right to criticise the government is guaranteed by Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.”
Falana stressed that under Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, specifically Section 39, every citizen—including corps members—has the fundamental right to criticise the government freely.
He reminded the NYSC of President Tinubu’s own Democracy Day speech, in which the president cautioned public officers against suppressing dissenting voices, warning that silencing critics could destabilise democracy.
Quoting the president, Falana 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.”
He urged the NYSC management to uphold this commitment to democratic principles by promptly releasing Rita Uguamaye’s discharge certificate without further delay, underscoring the importance of respecting citizens’ rights to free expression in a democratic society.
“In line with the commitment of the President to encourage Nigerians to criticise the government, the Management of the National Youth Service Corps should release the NYSC Discharge Certificate of Rita Uguamaye without any further delay,” he said.
NYSC’s Earlier Claim
Earlier on Sunday, NYSC claimed Rita’s certificate was withheld due to her failure to attend the mandatory April 2025 biometrics clearance, not because of any critical remarks she made about Tinubu’s government.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the NYSC Management described as “entirely unfounded and false” claims circulating on social media that the certificate was withheld due to her criticism of the government.
The NYSC stated that Rita is among 131 corps members whose certificates were withheld for valid disciplinary reasons.
According to NYSC, specifically, her service year has been extended by two months for failing to attend the April 2025 biometrics clearance, a decision that aligns with the NYSC Bye-Laws.
The NYSC emphasised that this extension is a standard procedure and not unique to her case, and the principle of equal treatment was only applied in this case.
In a viral TikTok video, Rita tearfully expressed frustration over the rising cost of goods in Nigeria, describing President Tinubu as a “terrible” president and accusing the government of neglecting the economic hardship faced by citizens.
She further lamented the financial struggles she faced as a corps member, stating that the monthly NYSC allowance was insufficient to cover basic living expenses.
Following the video, Rita reported receiving multiple calls from NYSC officials urging her to delete the video and cease her criticism of the government.
She expressed concern that corps members were required to provide their phone numbers and addresses on forms, lamenting, “These people know my address and where I live, and now they’ve begun threatening me.”
Rita also stated, “It is so bad that you can’t even just speak up about the government because they feel like they have chains to hold you.”
