A Lagos-based National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Ushie Rita Uguamaye, recently shared a viral video on social media expressing her strong and deep frustration over Nigeria’s worsening economic situation under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s watch. She specifically lambasted the leadership style of the President and labelled it as being “terrible.” The young lady broke down in tears while narrating her frustration and inability to afford essential consumable goods such as a crate of egg in a land supposedly filled with milk and honey. Her outburst elicited mixed reactions as usual between those for and against her opinion.
To the sane, her view was simply a corroboration of the ugly experiences encountered by millions of Nigerians on a daily basis since the advent of Tinubu’s administration in 2023. Therefore, what the corps member said in that video was nothing new. It only came from a different perspective least expected but it actually reinforced the existing reality in Nigeria. In fact, those in power now promised to provide and ensure that the now expensive basic needs she mentioned are affordable during their campaigns but they reneged on assumption of office. This is always the unfortunate lot of Nigerians during and after every election cycle.
While others are suffering and smiling or dying in silence, someone has to bell the cat. Somebody has to speak up and confront the almighty king with the truth wearing a mask. And Ushie Rita Uguamaye practically did on behalf of Nigerians. She deserves our commendation for calling the attention of the president to the harsh reality of adversities currently facing Nigerians. Government not only promised an increase in allowances due to corps members from N33,000 to N77,000 but also set effective date of implementation? The same government refused to fulfill its own promise until now. If she had not spoken up, perhaps, the new NYSC ‘allawee’ would not have been paid. It is unfortunate that government has resorted to face saving measure in discharging it’s duty. .
Expectedly, the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the President, Temitope Ajayi, in a hurry to justify his diligence, where none exists, has like those before him proclaimed that, the corps member deserves capital punishment for daring to state the obvious about the president. Ajayi argued that it is normal for citizens to criticise the President but a corps member deserves no such right. One should ask Ajayi when the right of expression of corps members ceased to exist in Nigeria.
One is compelled as well to ask what is more terrible than subjecting majority of the people to live below the poverty line in a country so blessed like Nigeria? Those who deliberately pinned down the nation with their strangulating policies deserve double capital punishment more than Ushie. She has made another video calling the attention of Nigerians to threats emanating from the NYSC officials who were compelling her to pull down the video. She wrote, “Dear Nigerians, I am already getting threatened by the NYSC board to stop speaking on this issue. They have my address. If you don’t see me online, you know who to hold accountable.”
*Meanwhile, Uguamaye’s position regarding President Tinubu’s leadership, as evident in her video and the allegations she laid against NYSC, has raised serious concerns among Nigerians. Many well-meaning individuals and organisations have lent their voices for or against the matter. Her right to free speech was in tandem with views of many while others have condemned her approach to complain mechanism. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, praised her courage and resilience in a statement on X. Atiku described her as a representative of a new generation of politically conscious women. The Turakin, Adamawa compared her to past female activists like Gambo Sawaba, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, and Margaret Ekpo. Rather than being met with hostility, Raye deserves encouragement and support. She represents the promise that the leaders of tomorrow are already among us,” Atiku stated. In the same vein, the Social-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) called on President Tinubu to intervene, urging the NYSC to stop intimidating Uguamaye. “Freedom of expression is a fundamental right. The NYSC must end this intimidation and guarantee her safety,” SERAP stated.
Effective crisis management is an essential part of Public Relations always missing within government image building circle in times of trouble. Instead of employing professionalism in managing governance related crisis or a simple citizen’s concerns about harsh policies of government, designated officials mostly de-market the government and officials involved with their statements and positions while embarking on show of power and ego trips. In fact, the overwhelming rash approach of government officials like Ajayi to addressing the subject depicted lack of tact and good knowledge of PR.
This further aggravates held perception, compounds the trust deficit already existing between the government and the governed. Threats emanating from the National Youth Service Corps pressurising Ushie to delete the video or face the consequences of her action was petty and uncalled for just as Ajayi’s outburst was equally out of place. It imperative at this juncture to remind the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) that Section 9(2) of the NYSC Act, prohibits Corps members from engaging in partisan politics and does not in any way deny them their rights to free speech.
Moreover, Section 39(1) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended) guarantees every citizen the right to freedom of expression. The corps member was never partisan. Her voice only amplified both the silence and murmuring of many Nigerians against the harsh economic crunch confronting everyone. The issues raised by Ushie are valid, germane and incontrovertible. Therefore, the position of government has to focus on redeeming it’s battered image first for, failing the people rather than robbing government inefficiency on the face of the already excruciating wound it inflicted on the people.
Times are really hard in Nigeria. We all can feel the palpitations of the hardship, haplessness and hopelessness on the horizon. One thing is clear: Nigerian economy is in a terrible state and the nation is in dire need of salvation. Citizens are going through a lot since the inception of this administration. It is only kids who may not understand the level of distress in the land. Cost of living has gone astronomically high while prices of goods and services have continued to change on a daily basis. Even the rich are also crying. Is the president conscious of the enormity of pain and anguish his government policies have caused in the country? Those close to the President should do him a favour and tell him the bitter truth. Nigerians are called upon to speak up against the vindictive approach of government towards the corps member. Ushie Rita Uguamaye is right after all.
Sunday Onyemaechi Eze is a lecturer, Department of Mass Communication and Head, Internationalisation and Partnership, Coal City University, Enugu
