Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) of impunity and called for the immediate release of Ushie Rita Uguamaye’s discharge certificate.
The Cross River State-born corper raised an alarm over the weekend when she said her discharge certificate is being withheld for no reason.
This was after NYSC had invited her for questioning and subsequently punished her over a comment she made earlier in the year in which she lamented the increased hardship in the country and poor environment in Lagos.
Posting to her social media accounts, Ushie Rita Uguamaye expressed frustration that after completing her mandatory service “my certificate has been withheld with no one saying anything.”
She said there was nothing she could do and would “move on”.
Weighing in on the matter on Sunday, Atiku condemned the politicisation of public service institutions, questioning the motive behind the delay.
“What manner of impunity is this? Everything should not be subjected to politics,” Atiku said.
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expressed fears that the certificate may be deliberately withheld because Ms. Uguamaye openly criticised the Bola Tinubu-led administration over the rising cost of living.
“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 stated.
According to Atiku, Ms. Uguamaye successfully completed her national service without any official query or disciplinary action, yet has been denied the certificate that confirms her completion of the scheme.
“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,” Atiku emphasised.
The former Vice President urged the NYSC leadership and other relevant authorities to take urgent steps to rectify the situation, warning that such incidents erode public trust in government institutions.
“The appropriate authorities should take urgent steps to ensure that she gets her discharge certificate,” he said.
