The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has dismissed online claims that Ushie Rita Uguamaye, popularly known as “Raye” (State Code: LA/24B/8325), was denied her Certificate of National Service (CNS) because she criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration. In a statement issued on Sunday, NYSC spokesperson Caroline Embu described the circulating allegations as false and baseless, explaining that Raye’s CNS was withheld for disciplinary reasons tied to her April clearance.

According to the NYSC, 131 corps members had their CNS withheld, but not as punishment for dissent. Raye’s service year, the agency stated, was extended by two months due to her failure to attend the April biometric clearance, a requirement under the NYSC Bye-Laws. The scheme emphasised that such extensions are standard procedures applied uniformly, and are not motivated by politics. NYSC noted that similar sanctions are routinely imposed on corps members who miss clearance obligations, and asserted that the principle of equal treatment was applied in her case.

Raye, who served in Lagos State, drew public attention several months ago after a viral video in which she voiced concerns about rising living costs and economic hardship in the country. On Saturday, she took to Instagram to claim that she was denied her CNS when she and her colleagues went to collect it. She said NYSC officials asserted that she failed to complete her April clearance, a claim she disputed.

Raye alleged that she had presented herself for clearance, but was repeatedly told by the Local Government Inspector (LGI) to wait. She further claimed that the LGI later refused to clear her, seized her file, and told her to leave the office.

As the situation unfolds, NYSC maintains that the CNS withheld from Raye was for standard disciplinary reasons related to clearance procedures, not for any political statements. The agency’s clarification underscores its position that actions taken against corps members follow established bylaws and are applied evenly across the board. For now, the campaign around Raye’s CNS appears to pivot on clarifying the circumstances behind the clearance process and the extensions, rather than on any claim of dissent-based retaliation.