Father Of Corps Member, Ushie, Died Protesting Govt’s Demolition Of Property

DETAILS have emerged regarding how the father of corps member, Ushie Rita Uguamaye, who is facing backlash for recently criticising President Bola Tinubu over the harsh effects of his government and for calling Lagos a smelling city, lost his life.
In a lengthy post, the journalist and human rights activist, Agba Jalingo, disclosed that Ushie lost her father at the age of 19 during a protest against land demolition in 2019.
Jalingo wrote that Ushie’s father, then an officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), collapsed after attempting to stop the destruction of his palm plantation for the Obudu International Airport in Cross River State, and the family was never compensated for their loss.
In the post on his Facebook page, on Sunday, March 16, Jalingo wrote: “Ushie Rita Uguamaye, now 24, was only 19 years old when Nigeria’s inefficiency took her father away.
“There are NYSC bylaws that prohibit corps members from engaging in certain activities, including openly criticising authorities. The penalties are severe, and I acknowledge that Ushie Rita Uguamaye violated the rule book.
“However, I want to explain why I believe she is a victim, and if I were in her shoes, I would not have acted differently.
“She’s from my hometown, Obudu, in Cross River state. Her father, an Immigration officer, died in May 2019 after taking part in a protest against the demolition of his palm plantation for the Obudu International Airport.
“There was a demonstration by the youths and women of the Ukambi community against the destruction of their farmlands for the airport project. Her father, who was nearing retirement, had spent his lifetime savings developing a palm plantation in his village, Ukambi.
“Upon learning that farmlands in neighbouring Atiekpe and Ikwomikwu had been demolished and that Ukambi was next, he rushed home to confront the bulldozer encroaching on his land.
“He arrived at the site in his uniform and stood in front of the bulldozer, attempting to stop it before other community members joined him.
“He actively participated in the protest, but later collapsed. He was rushed to a hospital in Obudu, but due to the severity of his condition, he was transferred to UCTH in Calabar, where he died.”