The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has denied claims that it extended the service year of corps member Rita Uguamaye, popularly known as Raye, in response to her viral criticism of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Uguamaye gained attention after posting a TikTok video via her handle @talktoraye, where she criticised the state of the Nigerian economy and described Tinubu as a “terrible leader.” She also referred to Lagos as a “smelling state” with poor living conditions, drawing mixed reactions online.
In a follow-up video, Uguamaye alleged that NYSC officials were pressuring her to delete the content and threatening her safety. The NYSC did not issue any direct response to those claims.
The situation intensified when activist Omoyele Sowore alleged that NYSC had extended Uguamaye’s service year by two months as retaliation for her remarks. He described the matter as emblematic of broader repression under the current administration and threatened to protest at the NYSC’s passing out parade if the issue remained unresolved.
“We will mobilise down to the Passing Out Parade, except Rita is allowed to complete her NYSC national service without let or hindrance,” Sowore said in a June 24 post. Reacting to the allegations, Carol Embu, the NYSC’s acting Director of Press and Public Relations, dismissed the claims as baseless.”Who is Sowore? Does he work with the NYSC? So, how come you are listening to him?” Embu asked when contacted.
“NYSC is not an irresponsible organisation; we work with rules and regulations. She is still serving; if she has any issues, we will wait and see,” she added. Embu clarified that any extension of service is only applied during the official passing out process and follows established procedures, not discretionary actions. As of the time of reporting, Uguamaye had not confirmed any service extension via her social media platforms, and the claim could not be independently verified.
Source : https://www.pulse.ng/
