The National Youth Service Corps has called in Ushie Rita Uguamaye, a corps member currently serving in Lagos State, following her viral TikTok video in which she harshly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
A message from the NYSC Local Government Inspector, according to SaharaReporters, on Sunday, instructed Uguamaye, with code number LA/24B/832, to report to the Eti Osa 3 local government office by 10 a.m. on Monday without fail.
Uguamaye posted a video on TikTok under the handle @talktoraye, expressing her frustration over Nigeria’s rising cost of living. In the emotional video, she described President Tinubu as a “terrible” leader and accused his administration of neglecting the economic hardships faced by citizens.
“If a lot of Nigerians come out and start speaking about what we are going through, maybe changes will be made in the government,” she said in the video. “I don’t know if there is any other president that is as terrible as you, but you are such a terrible president.”
She also shared her personal struggles as a corps member, stating that her monthly NYSC allowance is insufficient to cover basic living expenses. According to her, she often spends more than she earns due to the rising cost of essentials.
“So, 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? Is there going to be a particular time when prices will stop going up?” she asked.
Uguamaye also highlighted the soaring prices of basic items, including eggs, which she said had risen from N800 to N6,500. “I am so overwhelmed because this is the first time I’ve stayed out of my family house,” she added, detailing how her financial struggles extend beyond food to utilities and transportation.
“The crazy thing is, you want to go out with your friend, and Uber is N25,000. Why are things so expensive? To make it worse, Lagos stinks. Everywhere smells. What is the government doing about the smell? Being an NYSC corper, there is nothing so beneficial about this scheme,” she further complained.
In another video posted the following day, Uguamaye revealed that she had received calls from NYSC officials urging her to delete the video. She recounted a conversation with an NYSC official who was reportedly angry over her post.
“Yesterday, I made a video talking about the Nigerian government and how terrible President Tinubu is and I was crying in the video. Thirty minutes ago, I received a call from the NYSC board starting with the secretariat before the LGI,” she said. “She called me and was yelling at me to take down the video.”
During the conversation, Uguamaye was asked by the NYSC official, “Are you normal?” She explained that she was not insulting the president, to which the official responded, “Come on, keep quiet there. Pull down that rubbish you put there. You are not talking to your mate.”
Rita questioned whether she was being threatened, to which the official continued, “You are not talking to your mate.”
The exchange left Uguamaye concerned for her safety, as she noted that the NYSC had access to her personal details. “These people know my address and where I live, and now they’ve begun threatening me,” she said.
Uguamaye also expressed frustration that speaking out against the government seems to have consequences. “It is so bad that you can’t even just speak up about the government because they feel like they have chains to hold you,” she said. “I never insulted the president, I said he is terrible. That is not an insult, it is a statement.”
The situation has sparked a wider debate among Nigerians about whether corps members should be restricted from expressing their views on national issues. The development has led to calls for greater freedom of expression, with some questioning the actions of the NYSC in addressing the corps member’s criticism.
