THE Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, on Monday refuted claims that he called for the death of a National Youth Service Corps member who recently flouted NYSC bye-laws.
In a statement titled, ‘Statement on My Twisted Comment on the Corps Member,’ Ajayi clarified that his initial remarks on a Facebook post were misrepresented, emphasising that the maximum penalty provided by the NYSC’s regulations is expulsion—not bodily harm.
“I suggested that flagrant and open abuse and disregard of NYSC by-laws and established protocol should attract the full NYSC disciplinary measures, particularly regarding a corps member’s recent display of imprudence,” Ajayi stated.
His response came amid a swirl of backlash online suggesting that he advocated lethal sanction against the corps member in question.
In a now-viral TikTok video, a Lagos-based corp member, Ushie Uguamaye, on Saturday criticised President Bola Tinubu’s government.
Uguamaye expressed frustration over Nigeria’s worsening economic conditions, lamenting the high inflation and economic hardship.
She also criticised the President by describing him as a “terrible leader” while questioning the government’s efforts to alleviate the hardship faced by the citizens.
The corp member complained, “I am coming from a supermarket where I went to get foodstuff, and everything has gone up again. It’s just like every single week, prices keep increasing.
“I want to know, what is the government doing about this increase? If a lot of Nigerians come out and start speaking about what we are going through, maybe changes will be made in the government.
“I don’t know if there is any other president that is as terrible as you (Mr Tinubu). But you (Mr Tinubu) are such a terrible president.”
Ajayi who commented on the issue on social media advocated for the highest punishment on the corp member.
However, netizens pelted the Presidential aide, construing his comments as demanding the death penalty.
Denying the assertions, he stated: “It has become imperative to dispel the misrepresentation and patent mischief that has trailed my comment on a Facebook post.
“I suggested that flagrant and open abuse and disregard of NYSC by-laws and established protocol should attract the full NYSC disciplinary measures…nothing beyond the established norms and laws is suggested or remotely implied.”
Ajayi said he is committed to the integrity of the NYSC programme, further noting that the scheme represents a historic national initiative “that should not be sullied and ridiculed by indiscipline.”
He added that it “symbolises our triumph over division and consistent effort to forge a more potent and virile union,” urging Nigerians to uphold “our old cherished values of dignity, discipline, and respect for one another as citizens.”
In a separate Facebook post Ajayi wrote, “The mob get their oxygen from misrepresentations and delibrate mischief.
“I made comments under a post where I advertently wrote that what the lady corper did should attract capital punishment under NYSC which means her indiscretion should attract highest punishment under the NYSC scheme.
“The highest punishment under NYSC is expulsion. There was a follow-up comment under same thread where I provided the context in my usage of capital punishment under NYSC as a metaphor. The follow-up comment that explained the previous comment was ignored.
“It is common sense that there is no death penalty anywhere as punishment under NYSC law.”