Human rights activist and politician, Omoyele Sowore, has urged Nigerians to turn out en masse on Tuesday in Abuja, at the headquarters of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), over the withheld discharge certificate of Rita Uguamaye, a former corps member.
Earlier this year, Uguamaye posted a video on social media, criticising the Federal Government’s economic policies an poor intervention for Nigerians.
The corps member at the time describe Tinubu as a “terrible leader”.
She criticised Lagos’ “poor living conditions” and called the NYSC scheme “not beneficial”, eliciting mixed reactions. However, she later apologised, explaining that her remarks on Lagos were misunderstood.
Last week, Uguamaye said the NYSC management withheld her discharge certificate, claiming officials accused her of missing clearance, which she blamed on her local government inspector’s refusal to sign April’s attendance.
Last Sunday, the NYSC authorities said her service year had been extended by two months “for failing to attend the April 2025 biometric clearance”, adding that she was among 131 corps members penalised.
Speaking on Prime Time, an Arise Television programme, on Monday, Sowore, who was recently released from police detention, asked citizens to come out in support of the corps memer.
“I want to use this opportunity to invite people to another protest tomorrow on behalf of the youth corps lady who was denied her discharge certificate,” he said.
“She is the only one who spoke up against the president who denied her certificate. We have a clear nexus between what she said and her punishment.”
Addressing claims that the corps member failed to complete the mandatory one-month clearance, Sowore said she has evidence proving she attempted to complete the clearance but was refused.
“[For] the people who said she didn’t do one month clearance, she has been able to make a case that she went there to do the clearance, but they refused that,” he added.
