The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has backed a Lagos-based National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Ushie Uguamaye, also known as Raye, who claimed to have received threats for criticising President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
TUC President Festus Osifo, who spoke on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, stated that the corps member spoke out of exasperation, encouraging the government not to pursue her but to tolerate criticism.
However, the TUC president reminded critics to always challenge the administration within the expected norm and with some decorum.
He said, “They (government) have to develop this resilience to understand that people are frustrated, people are hungry, people are tired. So, if they decide to vent, I strongly believe that the government should not personalise it and come after such individuals.
“Imagine a young lady carrying out her NYSC function. What does she really have to do to bring down the government? So, it is about personal frustration that she has aired.
“So, I think that the government have to persevere much more; they have to be more tolerant, and they have to have this deep level of patience with Nigerians because people are passing through a lot as it stands today.”
Raye, a corps member serving in Lagos, recently gained attention after a video she posted opposing government policies went viral.
She then claimed to have received threats from NYSC officials, urging her to remove the video.
In a video released on her TikTok account, #talktoraye, on Saturday, Raye expressed unhappiness with Nigeria’s deteriorating economic position, saying that hard effort no longer ensures financial stability.
She lambasted Tinubu’s leadership, calling him a “terrible leader,” and questioned the government’s commitment to alleviating citizens’ suffering.
However, the NYSC has yet to publish an official statement on the matter.
