The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has summoned Ushie Rita Uguamaye, a corps member serving in Lagos State, following her viral social media video in which she criticized President Bola Tinubu over Nigeria’s economic challenges.
A message from the NYSC Local Government Inspector (LGI) directed Rita, with code number LA/24B/832, to report to the Eti Osa 3 local government office by 10 a.m. on Monday. The directive, seen by SaharaReporters on Sunday, did not specify the reasons for the summon but is believed to be linked to her online remarks.
Rita, known on TikTok as @talktoraye, gained widespread attention after posting a tearful video lamenting the skyrocketing cost of living in Nigeria. In the video, she described Tinubu as a “terrible” president and accused the government of failing to address economic hardships.
“I don’t know if there is any other president that is as terrible as you, but you are such a terrible president,” she stated in the video.
She also expressed frustration over her NYSC allowance being insufficient to meet basic needs due to inflation.
“The money I spend on transportation is much more than the allowance the federal government pays us,” she lamented. “Every single penny I make, I am using it to pay bills. A crate of eggs now costs N6,500! It doesn’t make sense.”
Following the video circulation, Rita claimed she began receiving calls from NYSC officials, urging her to delete the video and stop criticizing the government. She shared a clip of a conversation with an NYSC official who allegedly berated her.
“Are you normal?” the official was heard asking before demanding she take down the video. When Rita questioned if she was being threatened, the official reportedly dismissed her concerns.
According to Rita, she fears for her safety as NYSC has access to her personal details, including her address.
“It is so bad that you can’t even speak up about the government without being threatened,” she said. “Instead of getting a call saying, ‘We are working on fixing the economy,’ I’m being called stupid and ordered to delete my video.”
The incident has sparked widespread debate, with many Nigerians questioning whether corps members should be restricted from expressing their views on governance. Some argue that the NYSC’s reaction undermines freedom of speech, while others believe Rita’s comments violated NYSC regulations, which discourage political involvement.
As the controversy unfolds, observers await the NYSC’s official response regarding Rita’s fate in the program.
