‘Overzealousness,’ Falana, Atiku Fault Withholding Of Raye’s NYSC Certificate \u2022 Channels Television
\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, have criticised the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) over the decision to withhold the Discharge Certificate of a Lagos youth corps member, Ushie Uguamayei, better known as Raye.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n While Falana described the NYSC\u2019s action as overzealousness, Atiku labelled the moves as impunity.<\/p>\n Falan called the seizure of the NYSC Discharge Certificate \u201cillegal, as it was not authorised by any competent court\u201d.<\/p>\n READ ALSO: Raye\u2019s Certificate Withheld, Service Year Extended By Two Months \u2014 NYSC<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed, 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.<\/p>\n \u201cSince Nigeria is under a democratic government, Rita Uguamayei\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThe President declared, \u2018While slander and libel must not go unaddressed, no one should suffer injustice for simply writing a negative report about me or calling me.\u2019 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Weighing in on the issue, Atiku demanded that the Raye\u2019s certificate be issued to her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat manner of impunity is this? Everything should not be subjected to politics. \u201cI hope that Ushie\u202fRita\u202fUguamaye\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is unacceptable that the young lady, who had served her country without queries, should not have received her National Youth Service Corps certificate one year after passing out.<\/p>\n \u201cThe appropriate authorities should take urgent steps to ensure that she gets her discharge certificate,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n What manner of impunity is this? Everything should not be subjected to politics. I hope that Ushie\u202fRita\u202fUguamaye\u2019s NYSC discharge certificate is not being withheld because she had the courage to complain about the economic hardship under the President Bola Tinubu-led\u2026<\/p>\n\n