NYSC officials absent as Sowore escorts Corps member summoned over anti-government video

The controversy surrounding corps member Ushie Uguamaye’s viral TikTok video, also known as Raye, has taken a new twist. The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) official who summoned her was reportedly absent during the scheduled meeting on Monday.

Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, accompanied by a team of lawyers, escorted Uguamaye to the NYSC office in Eti-Osa, Lagos, where she was summoned to appear before the Local Government Inspector (LGI) over her viral criticism of President Bola Tinubu. However, Sowore alleged that the LGI was not present throughout their visit.

In a Facebook post, Sowore said, “We arrived at the Eti-Osa NYSC office with Youth Corper Ushie Rita Uguamaye in Lagos. She was scheduled to appear before the LGI today, but the LGI absconded. We will be back!”

The initial controversy began when Uguamaye posted a TikTok video expressing her dissatisfaction with the current administration, describing President Tinubu as a “terrible leader” and Lagos State as a “smelling state” with poor living conditions. She also lamented Nigeria’s economic hardship, high inflation, and deteriorating living standards.

Read also: Atiku backs NYSC corps member threatened over viral anti-government video

Following the video’s circulation, Uguamaye claimed she started receiving threats, allegedly from NYSC officials, pressuring her to delete the content. She also shared a screenshot of an official invitation summoning her to the NYSC office in Eti-Osa on Monday at 10:00 a.m.

Expressing concern for her safety, Uguamaye posted, “They have my address. If I disappear, you know who to hold accountable.”

The incident has drawn widespread attention, with prominent figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) weighing in. Atiku praised Uguamaye’s courage, comparing her to female activists Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and Margaret Ekpo, while Obi emphasised the importance of free speech in a democracy. The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has also urged President Tinubu to instruct the NYSC to stop harassing Uguamaye.

However, not everyone is in support of Uguamaye. Reno Omokri, a former presidential aide, criticised her actions, arguing that corps members should focus on their primary assignments and avoid political activism. He questioned whether she would have dared to criticize past administrations.

Despite the growing public interest, the NYSC has yet to release an official statement addressing the incident. Efforts to reach the NYSC Director of Press and Public Relations, Edwin Megwa, have been unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered.