Ushie Uguamaye, a member of the National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, who recently criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has remained defiant in the face of intimidation by some government officials.
A video had gone viral at the weekend where Uguamaye described President Tinubu as a ‘Terrible President’ who has failed to find solutions to the economic hardship in the country.
Under his watch, the NYSC member who is currently serving in Lagos said the conditions of Nigerians have gone from bad to worse, siting as an example, some bad roads in the state.
She also criticized the administration for paying NYSC peanuts which is not enough to meet their needs.
Following her outburst, an official of the NYSC had called and threatened her, with a warning that she faced severe consequences if she refused to bring down the video from her Tiktok account.
She has been summoned by the NYSC management to appear before them on Monday.
The magazine reports that the video has attracted mixed reactions form not a few Nigerians, and across the world, among those supporting her and those who criticised her action.
For insatnce, the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar described her as bold, and one of Nigeria’s future leaders, noting that the country needs people like her who says it as it is without whose ox is gored.
In the face of this, Uguamaye insists that she had done no wrong by criticising the president, reinforcing her right to speak out as a Nigerian.
According to the post on her Tiktok account, she insist that being a corp member has now taken away her right as a Nigerian to criticised the government, warning the NYSC to ‘leave me alone’.
Apart from the NYSC, she claimed that some people have been threatening her for her action, saying that Nigerians should know who to hold responsible if anything happened to her.
Uguamaye wrote, “Dear Nigerians, I am already getting threatened by the NYSC board to stop speaking on this issue. In less than 24 hours, I’m already getting threatened by the government, starting with the NYSC board!
“Dear Nigerians, they have my address. In case you guys don’t see me online, please you know who to hold accountable. I didn’t do anything wrong. I just asked that they work on the inflation.
“Why can’t I speak up? Being an NYSC corper doesn’t mean I signed up for my right to complain.
“Why can’t the government listen to the criticisms of its citizens? They believe they have a chain on me, which is NYSC, and they are using it to hold me. #officialasiwajubat I didn’t do anything wrong. I criticised your government, and I demand that we are being heard.”
Uguamaye went further to state that she would not delete the post because it would amount to covering up whatever punishment was meted out to her.
She urged the NYSC authorities to desist from threatening her since she had been instructed to report to the office on Monday.
“She’s asking people to identify me? I’m not a criminal. Reading the NYSC rules, I didn’t commit any crime. Ask the NYSC lady to stop asking people to point me out. At this point, she’s acting scary.
“Dear NYSC, if you say a corper has faulted, you wouldn’t treat them like this and scare them! You are scaring me for my dear life. Please, leave me alone. You told me to report to the office on Monday. Okay! What else? Why are you looking for me?”
In a statement shared on X on Sunday, Atiku applauds Uguomaye’s courage, urging Nigerians to support her, describing her as a symbol of a new generation of politically active Nigerians who are prepared to hold government accountable.
Atiku: “Raye embodies the spirit of a new generation of women who champion the ideals of popular participation and unwavering advocacy in the political sphere.
“I deeply admire her boldness and wisdom—her fearless resolve to speak truth to power, undeterred by the weight of opposition.
“Rather than being met with hostility, Raye deserves encouragement and support. She is a shining emblem of the Nigerian youth—a testament to the long-held promise that the leaders of tomorrow are already among us, ready to shape a better future.’
Not a few Nigerians insist that Uguamaye had only said the truth about the current situation in the country. Many Nigerians will do the same thing if they have the opportunity and medium to do so, according to the critics of the Tinubu’s administration.
Discover more from The Source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
