A Nigerian youth corps member, Ushie Rita, has accused the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) of threatening her after she criticised the government over the country’s economic struggles.
In a video posted on TikTok, Rita expressed frustration about the rising cost of living, saying she was struggling to survive independently. She also described President Bola Tinubu as a “terrible president” and questioned what his administration was doing to address the economic crisis.
“I just want to say to our president, I don’t know if there has been any president that is terrible, but you are such a terrible president,” she said.
She complained about constantly increasing prices, high electricity bills, and poor living conditions in Lagos. Rita also criticised the NYSC scheme, arguing that it was not beneficial to corps members.
“The money I spend on transportation is more than the allowance the government pays,” she said.
Shortly after posting the video, Rita claimed she was contacted by an NYSC official who demanded that she take it down.
In another video, she played a recording of a woman, allegedly an NYSC representative, saying: “Pull down that rubbish.”
Rita alleged that the official accused her of insulting the government, but she maintained that she was simply speaking about her struggles. She also warned that the public should hold NYSC responsible if anything happens to her.
“Thirty minutes ago, I received a call from the NYSC board, and the woman was threatening me to take down the video,” she said.
“It is so bad that you can’t speak against the government because they feel like they have chains to hold you.”
She later shared screenshots of messages from colleagues who claimed that the Lagos State Government was searching for her.
“Lagos State Government is looking for you. I know because my LGI just posted about it in our group chat. Careful dear. All the best,” one of the messages read.
Rita has not yet publicly stated whether she plans to take down the video or if she will take further action regarding the alleged threats. The NYSC has not issued an official response to the allegations.