A serving corps member in Lagos State has raised alarm over threats she allegedly received from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) following her social media post criticizing the rising cost of living in Nigeria.
In a video posted on TikTok via the handle @talktoraye, the visibly distressed corps member lamented the skyrocketing prices of goods and services, calling out President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for its perceived failure to address inflation.
“If a lot of Nigerians come out and start speaking about what we are going through, maybe changes will be made in the government,” she said. “I just want to say to our president, I don’t know if there is any other president that is as terrible as you, but you are such a terrible president.”
The corps member further expressed her frustration with the NYSC scheme, stating that her monthly allowance is insufficient to cover basic expenses. She recounted her struggle to afford essential goods, lamenting how prices keep increasing weekly.
“So, I am coming from a supermarket where I went to get foodstuff, and everything has gone up again. It’s just like every single week, prices keep increasing. I want to know, what is the government doing about this increase? Is there going to be a particular time when prices will stop going up? Why am I going to get a crate of eggs and I’m told it costs N6,500? It doesn’t make any sense that eggs would cost that much. I literally remember when eggs cost N800. I am so overwhelmed because this is the first time I’ve stayed out of my family house.”
She also criticized the deteriorating living conditions in Lagos, citing poor infrastructure, high security and electricity bills, and the rising cost of transportation.
“After I left the supermarket, I got home, and the security and NEPA bills have skyrocketed, doubling in price. It is insane. I can’t keep up with these bills. Every single penny I make, I am using it to pay bills. The crazy thing is, you want to go out with your friend, and Uber is N25,000. Why are things so expensive?
“To make it worse, Lagos stinks. Everywhere smells. What is the government doing about the smell? Being an NYSC Corper, there is nothing so beneficial about this scheme. The money I spend on transportation is much more than the allowance the federal government pays us. We should start calling out the government. For example, Tinubu, you are a terrible person. What are you doing to help our economy?”
Shortly after posting the video, the corps member revealed that she began receiving calls from NYSC officials instructing her to delete the video and stop “insulting” the government. In a follow-up video, she played a phone conversation with an NYSC official who berated her for her statements.
“Are you normal?” the official was heard saying. “Keep quiet and bring down the video you posted.”
According to the corps member, multiple NYSC officials have contacted her with similar warnings, urging her to take down her criticism of the government.
The incident has sparked widespread reactions on social media, with many Nigerians expressing concern over the suppression of free speech and the government’s response to public grievances. Critics argue that instead of addressing the corps member’s concerns, the authorities are focusing on silencing her.
