The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has weighed in on the controversy surrounding a corps member who was allegedly threatened by officials of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) after she criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
TUC President Festus Osifo, speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, urged the government to show tolerance, emphasizing that the corps member’s remarks were a result of frustration. He advised against any punitive action.
“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,” Osifo said.
The corps member, Ushie Uguamaye, who is serving in Lagos, had posted a video on TikTok lamenting the hardship Nigerians are facing due to the administration’s economic policies.
Her video quickly went viral, attracting the attention of NYSC officials, whom she later accused of calling her and threatening her to take down the post. The NYSC is yet to issue an official response on the matter.
Osifo further stated, “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 has 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.”
However, the TUC president also advised critics to express their opinions with a certain level of decorum and within acceptable norms.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International has also condemned the alleged threats against the corps member.
In a statement released on Sunday, the organization called on the Federal Government to stop targeting individuals and groups who criticize the administration.
“The Nigerian authorities must stop responding with violence and threats to individuals and groups who express dissenting opinions — in utter disregard for the Nigerian constitution and international law. Holding and voicing dissenting views is not a crime,” Amnesty International stated via its official X handle.
