Osamagbe Imadiyi
The Trade Union Congress has supported Ushie Uguamaye, also called Raye, a Lagos-based National Youth Service Corps member who claimed she was threatened for voicing his disapproval of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. The corps member spoke out of frustration, according to TUC President Festus Osifo, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics. He advised the government to be tolerant of critics rather than pursue her. However, the head of the TUC advised critics to always criticize the government within the expected norm and with a certain amount of decorum.
“They (government) need to build this resilience to realize that people are tired, hungry, and frustrated,” he said. Therefore, I firmly believe that the government should not personalize it and target such people if they choose to vent. Imagine a young woman performing her NYSC duties. What additional actions would she need to take to overthrow the government? She has thus expressed her personal frustration. So, I believe that the government needs to be much more persistent, more tolerant, and have this great level of patience with Nigerians because people are going through a lot currently.”
Recently, a video that Raye, a corps member serving in Lagos, posted criticizing government policies went viral, garnering media attention. She later stated that she was under pressure to remove the video and that she had received threats, allegedly from NYSC officials. She called Tinubu a “terrible leader” and criticized his leadership, raising doubts about the government’s resolve to alleviate the suffering of its people. The NYSC has not yet issued a formal statement on the matter, though.
