Ms. Rita Ushie, also known as Raye on Instagram, has had her service year extended by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) by two months after she went viral criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s government and Nigeria’s economic woes. Packages for travel
With only one month left in her required service, Raye gained widespread attention in March when she shared a video of herself sobbing as she talked about the hardships of living on the NYSC allowance and the growing cost of living. Go here to read
She called the Tinubu government “dreadful” in the same video and questioned what steps the government was taking to alleviate the escalating economic catastrophe.
Raye claimed that after the video, she got threatening calls from NYSC officials telling her to remove the material and quit criticizing the government. Nigerians and civil rights organizations expressed their displeasure over the incident, accusing the NYSC of trying to stifle her right to free speech.
The officer who had originally summoned her to the Eti-Osa Local Government office was apparently not there when she arrived with legal representation and human rights campaigner Omoyele Sowore.
On Wednesday, June 18, the issue came up again when Raye was called to appear before a disciplinary panel at the NYSC orientation camp in Iyana Ipaja, Lagos. Jonathan Ugbal, the Take It Back Movement’s South-South Coordinator, claims that there were several delays and a dearth of official communication throughout the process.
“Upon her arrival last Wednesday, without any official letter, she was told to return later. She eventually met with the officials, apologised for any perceived harm, but was later informed that her service year would be extended by two months,” Ugbal told CrossRiverWatch. “Her mother called me crying, saying Raye was in tears and emotionally distressed.”
In the initial video that started the debate, Raye talked openly about inflation, the high cost of food, and the general cost of living as a corps member in Lagos. It was uploaded to TikTok under her username, @talktoraye.
Frustrated, she said, “Why am I spending ₦6,500 for a crate of eggs? When it was ₦800, I recall. Even simple outings are out of reach, transportation is ridiculous, and NEPA and security fees have risen. Uber costs ₦25,000.
She added, “Lagos smells. The whole city stinks. What is the government doing about it? There’s nothing really beneficial about this NYSC scheme. The money we spend on transportation alone is more than what we earn.”
Raye maintained that she was calling for assistance rather than making a political statement. “Perhaps the government will be compelled to make a change if more Nigerians speak up,” she remarked. “You are a horrible guy, Tinubu. How are you addressing this economic situation?
Raye posted a second video less than twenty-four hours after the first one, in which she was repeatedly contacted by NYSC representatives, urging her to remove the video and cease speaking out.
Although the NYSC has not made an official statement on the subject, detractors claim the penalty is an obvious attempt to quell opposition.