The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member Ms. Rita Ushie, known as Raye on Instagram, who went viral for calling out President Bola Tinubu over the economic hardship and minimum wage implementation for corpers, has been punished with an additional two months of service.
Earlier in April, corps member Raye had made a video on Instagram, which she tagged 30 Days Rant, calling out the bad government of Tinubu and the economic hardship on corps members who were still being paid a N33,000 allowance despite the new minimum wage of N70,000 being approved.
Her video went viral and drew the attention of her Local Government Inspector (LGI) and NYSC management, who called and sent her messages, threatening her to delete the video and apologize or get suspended, claiming she broke the NYSC code of conduct.
Raye went ahead to post a second video, which included the records from the threatening messages her LGI and other NYSC officials sent her.
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The video had also gotten the attention of 2023 presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore who took it upon himself to fight for Raye legally. Sowore and his team got in touch with Raye and went with her to the LGI’s office, where she was earlier invited, but the LGI was absent.
As things would turn out, NYSC began payment of the new minimum wage allowance of N77,000. Which was seen by many to be a result of Raye’s viral solo outcry.
However, it seems what goes around has come back around. Raye is being punished for calling out the government and crying out about hardship with a two-month service extension.
With just one month left in her service year, Raye was again invited to the NYSC orientation camp in Iyana Ipaja, Lagos, on June 18. According to Jonathan Ugbal, South-South Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, Raye was not officially addressed during her visit and asked to return days later.
“She went back and apologized to officials who felt embarrassed by public backlash,” Ugbal explained. “But today, her mother called me in tears, saying Raye phoned crying that her service has been extended by two months.”
The development has reignited concerns about freedom of expression and the alleged abuse of power within the NYSC. Activists say the decision to extend her service appears retaliatory and unjust.
