By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
A serving corps member in Lagos State, Ushie Rita (code: LA/24B/8325), says she is no longer interested in obtaining her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), certificate, insisting her life remains “great” without it.
Rita’s comments, made during a TikTok live session, come amid a dispute with the NYSC over its decision to withhold her Certificate of National Service.
She accused the scheme of “acting unshakeable” while allegedly breaking its own rules. “I didn’t have that certificate before, yet my life is great… I’m no longer interested,” she said, refusing to say whether she would comply with the two-month extension imposed on her.
The NYSC has dismissed claims that Rita was being punished for criticising the government, describing such reports as “entirely unfounded and false.”
It said her certificate was withheld for “valid disciplinary reasons” and that she is among 131 corps members penalised for various offences.
According to the scheme, her service year was extended due to her failure to attend the biometric clearance exercise in April 2025, a breach of its bye-laws.
The row has drawn attention online, fuelled by the resurfacing of a March 2025 video in which Rita criticised the federal government over rising living costs, calling President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a “terrible president” and urging Nigerians to speak out against economic hardship.
