Prominent Nigerians, former presidential candidates, and civil society organisations have expressed concern about the Nigerian government, led by President Bola Tinubu, allegedly threatening a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Ushie Rita Uguamaye, over her commentary on the state of the nation.

The Lagos-based corp member went viral across the social media after taking grievances to Tiktok last week and expressed her dissatisfactions over the high cost of living, inflation and environmental degradement which Nigerians face, leading to economic hardship for an average citizen of the country.

In her post, she further  expressed her frustration by criticising  the President and describing his administration as a terrible government due to the worsened economic condition under his government since he emerged in office in 2023.

However, the corper, in her follow-up video post, disclosed that her video has attracted attention from the NYSC, in which she has been threatened to bring the video down. Subsequently the NYSC Local Government Inspector (LGI), seen by SaharaReporters on Sunday, has instructed Ms.Rita, with code number LA/24B/832, to report to the Eti Osa 3 local government office by 10 a.m. on Monday without fail.

Against the backdrop, Amnesty International  has strongly condemned the alleged threats and intimidation  directed at the corp member for posting a video to express her grievances.

In a statement by the international organisation on their official X handle,  Amnesty decried the movement of the NYSC to stifle the lady for addressing the realities of average Nigerians who face the current escalating economic hardship. Amnesty also noted that it is within her right to express her discontentment with the economic issues in the country.

“Amnesty International strongly condemns threats and intimidation directed at a lady who posted TikTok video lamenting the current escalating economic hardship. The lady alleged that NYSC officials threatened her for refusing to delete the video.

“It is perfectly within her right to express discontent peacefully,” Amnesty International wrote. “Instead of threatening her for her opinions on rampant inflation, the authorities should be prioritizing addressing the country’s economic woes.

“Millions of people in Nigeria are facing extreme poverty. So far, the authorities have failed to put in place effective mitigation measures, leaving millions of people without the hope of getting out of the economic challenges and enjoying their human rights.

The international organisation also urged the Nigerian government to “stop responding with violence and threats to individuals and groups who express dissenting opinions — in utter disregard for Nigerian constitution and international law. Holding and voicing dissenting views is not a crime”.

In this same vein, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi has also condemned the attempt of the NYSC and the Nigerian government to silen her was far from democratic practices which the country should be governed with.

He said the Nigerian government must be able to accommodate dissent and recongnise any form of constructive criticism as a tennet of democracy instead of harassing and intimidating the lady who has only expressed her concern about the country.

“This pattern is not isolated. I, too, have been subjected to threats for daring to offer constructive suggestions and comments.

“I now face daily intimidation, harassment, and name-calling simply for expressing solution-based views on government policies.”

“A government that silences its citizens is not democratic or one that is subject to accountability and good governance and is most often corrupt,” he said.

“To all patriotic Nigerians: Our nation’s future and development depend on our collective courage to speak out against misgovernance, injustice, and intimidation.

“Do not let fear stifle your voice. Stand firm, support one another, and continue to advocate for Nigeria we all envision—a nation where freedom of speech is sacrosanct, and leadership is accountable to the people, especially in critical areas such as education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation.

“A just and prosperous Nigeria should be one where people like Raye are encouraged to speak out about the challenges they face, while those in government take urgent action to address these issues,” Obi said

In addition, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, has expressed her support for Ms Rita Raye for demonstrating her courage as a Nigerian who embodies the spirit of a new generation of women who champion the ideals of popular participation and unwavering advocacy in the political sphere.

The former vice president insisted that the government should have encouraged her courage and support instead of showing hostility towards her.

“I deeply admire her boldness and wisdom—her fearless resolve to speak truth to power, undeterred by the weight of opposition.

“She follows in the footsteps of formidable trailblazers like Gambo Sawaba, Funmilayo Ransom-Kuti, Margaret Ekpo and countless other women who have stood resolute in defense of the common good.

“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,” he said.

Meanwhile, a human rights activist and the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress in the last general election, Omoyele Sowore  announced that he would be accompanying Ms. Rita to the panel session at the LGI office today at Eti-Osa, where she currently serves.

He wrote, “The journey with youth Corper, Ushie Rita Uguamaye, has commenced in Lagos. She is scheduled to appear before the LGI (Local Government Inspector) today, and we will escort her to their offices. We are all en route with attorneys,” Sowore captioned the video.

However, in his comment, Reno Omokri, a popular social media user said the corp member was not expected to criticise the government, given she is still active in service as a paramilitary officer.

“Many Nigerians are just very sentimental. They do not think. They just jump on trends. The National Youth Service Corp is actually a paramilitary reserve force. That is why it is a corp. It is just like the Federal Road Safety Corp, only that the FRSC is a career, and the NYSC is just for a year.

“Read the NYSC enabling law. The Federal Government of Nigeria can deploy NYSC Corp members to fight during a state of war. Read. It is in the NYSC Act!

“If every corp member was allowed to criticise the government, there would be no discipline in the corp, and any presidential aspirant supporting this behaviour would be irresponsible,” he said.