Sowore Leads Protest at NYSC HQ Over Withheld Certificate for Corps Member “Raye”
In a powerful display of activism, Omoyele Sowore, human rights advocate and former presidential candidate, led a peaceful protest to the NYSC headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday. The demonstration sought justice for Ushie Rita Uguamaye (“Raye”), a corps member whose discharge certificate has reportedly been withheld despite completing her mandatory service.
Joined by legal counsel from Inibehe Effiong Chambers, Sowore submitted a formal petition to the Director-General of NYSC, Brig-Gen Olakunle Nafiu, demanding immediate issuance of the certificate and reversal of Raye’s two-month service extension. The lawyers allege that this punitive extension stemmed from targeted victimisation, as Raye had previously criticized President Tinubu’s administration.
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Raye had formally attempted her April biometric clearance, but according to the petition, her Local Government Inspector, Veronica Abela, allegedly refused to process the clearance, seized her file, and extended her service year without affording her a fair hearing, actions in potential violation of Section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution concerning fair hearing rights.
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Sowore condemned the incident as an abuse of power, cautioning against the politicisation of NYSC’s mandate and asserting that the scheme should remain neutral and non-partisan.
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In response, the NYSC management stated that withholding Raye’s certificate was not politically motivated. They attributed the action to her failure to complete mandatory biometric clearance, one of 131 similar cases, citing compliance with NYSC bye-laws.
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