Femi Falana Urges NYSC To Issue Discharge Certificates To Corps Members

Femi Falana, a human rights attorney and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, criticized the National Youth Service Corps’ management on Sunday for allegedly denying Lagos corps member Ushie Uguamayei, also known as Raye, her discharge certificate because she had criticized President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies.

“The decision is a cheap demonstration of overzealousness,” Falana said in a statement.

Since no court of competent jurisdiction authorized the seizure of the NYSC Discharge Certificate, it is unlawful.

“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. It is pertinent to remind the NYSC Authorities of the Democracy Day Speech of  President Bola Tinubu, wherein public officers were cautioned against suppressing dissent and that silencing critical voices could lead to unrest and undermine democracy.

“The President declared, “While slander and libel must not go unaddressed, no one should suffer injustice for simply writing a negative report about me or calling me. 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.”

In a widely circulated video on her TikTok account, @talktoraye, Uguamaye bemoaned the high rate of inflation and economic hardship in Nigeria and voiced her anger with the country’s deteriorating economic situation.

The President was also criticized by Uguamaye, who called him a “terrible leader” and questioned the government’s attempts to lessen the suffering of the citizens.

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