NYSC extends Uguamaye’s service year by two months, corps member alleges victimisation

Rita Uguamaye, a corps member and content creator better known as Raye, has alleged that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Lagos withheld her discharge certificate. 

In March, Uguamaye made headlines when she posted a video criticising government policies.

The video showed her calling President Bola Tinubu a “terrible leader” and questioning the government’s commitment to tackling the biting economy.

She lamented the poor living conditions in Lagos and argued that the NYSC scheme is not “beneficial”.

Her outburst led to mixed reactions from all stakeholders.

Uguamaye later apologised for some of her comments, which she said were misconstrued as “talking down” on Lagos.

In a recent post on Instagram, Raye said she went to the NYSC office to claim her discharge certificate, but she was not given. 

The content creator claimed the NYSC told her that she missed one of her monthly clearances.

She also claimed the local government inspector (LGI) at her place of primary assignment intentionally refused to sign her clearance in April.

“I was contemplating if I should share this or not, but just after 1 year of moving to another man’s land, to serve my country, ended with no certificate and telling me to come for final verdict that we already know how it will end,” she wrote.

“I genuinely wish I was not a Lagos state Corper because it is a waste of my time. I can’t say moving here was bad, but serving here is not all pleasure.

“Just to add to it, they said the reason I am not getting my certificate is because I did not clear myself for the month of April on my scheduled date.

“But what they are not saving is how I was present to get cleared, yet the LGI kept asking me to go to the back, and when she finally wanted to attend to me she said she won’t clear me.

“She seized my file and told me to get out. This is a long story, and I do not mind waking up mid-night to tell the story. The deep-rooted anger I feel and hatred is crazy because I don’t know who to direct it to.

“But I wish myself the best. And I am closing this chapter.”

Reacting in a post via X, Atiku Abubakar, former vice president, described the situation as act of impunity, saying “everything should not be politics”.

The former vice-president said the corps member should not be punished for “having the courage to complain about the economic hardship under the President Bola Tinubu-led administration”.

He urged the NYSC to address the situation.

“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,” he wrote.

“It 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.

“The appropriate authorities should take urgent steps to ensure that she gets her discharge certificate.”

NYSC: UGUAMAYE’S SERVICE YEAR EXTENDED BY TWO MONTHS

In a statement on Sunday, Caroline Embu, NYSC acting spokesperson, said Uguamaye’s service year has been extended by two months “for failing to attend the April 2025 biometrics clearance in April”.

She said the content creator is among the 131 corps members whose certificates were withheld for disciplinary reasons.

“Contrary to false claims that she was denied a Certificate of National Service (CNS) due to critical remarks about the government, this assertion is entirely unfounded and false in its entirety,” the statement reads in part.

“Rita is among the 131 Corps Members whose Certificates of National Service (CNS) were withheld for valid disciplinary reasons. Specifically, Rita’s 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.

“It is important to note 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.”