No government improves without listening to criticisms. Nigeria supposedly operates as a democracy. This presupposes that free speech should reign supreme in the country. Unfortunately, the reaction of some government functionaries gives the impression that they are not democrats.
The recent hounding of a National Youth Service Corps member, Ushie Uguamaye, who criticised President Bola Tinubu in a viral TikTok video, smacks of intimidation.
Following her outburst, she was summoned to the NYSC Local Government Inspector’s office in Lagos. The lady complained that some NYSC officials threatened her and asked her to pull down the post. Some government officials reportedly pressured her to apologise.
To some extent, what the young lady said is true. She expressed frustration over the high cost of commodities in Nigeria, called Tinubu a terrible President and said Lagos smelled.
Many Nigerians who are going through excruciating hardship will agree with her. Before it was rebased, inflation hit a 30-year high of 34.80 per cent in December.
In 2018, Nigeria overtook India as the global poverty capital with 86.9 million citizens living below the poverty line.
In 2022, the NBS calculated that 133 million Nigerians lived in multidimensional poverty. The World Bank added seven million to that in 2024 after the cancellation of the petrol subsidies and flotation of the naira.
Many companies have shut down operations. Kidnapping, terrorism, and other forms of insecurity have heightened.
Energy poverty is estimated at 90 million citizens or 45 per cent of the Nigerian population.
In defence of the government, it more than doubled the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 monthly in July. Many state governments have yet to pay it. In the United States, the minimum wage per hour is $7.25, though some states have higher wages.
Many believe that, as a corps member, Uguamaye should not have criticised the government the way she did. They cite the example of soldiers and police officers who do not appraise the government openly.
Corps members are not soldiers or police officers. Under the NYSC Act or Revised Byelaws, 2011, nowhere is it stated that corps members should not criticise the President or the government.
Though the corps member has apologised to the Lagos State Government, the backlash against her is disproportional.
Young people should be given the chance to air their views. The government should take a cue from such views to make amends where necessary.
Gagging them is against the spirit and letters of the Constitution. Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution guarantees citizens’ freedom of expression.
Article 19 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights protect citizens’ rights to express their views without molestation. The government should abridge this freedom in a democracy.
Even under a military dictatorship, Nigerians protested. But now, in a democracy, people are suppressed from expressing their opinions and protesting government policies.
In August, many citizens protesting the hardship and hunger in the country, including minors, were arrested. Some of them were charged with alleged treason and intent to destabilise Nigeria. This is abnormal.
Last year, journalists were arrested and detained for violating the Cybersecurity Act. The International Press Centre noted that about 150 press freedom violations and attacks against journalists occurred in Nigeria between 2016 and 2020. Suppressing the freedom of expression is not the hallmark of democracy.
There are many things the government should be concerned about. It is futile to dissipate energy on nothing.
Nigerians are having it rough under Tinubu. Thus, the government should know that more criticisms will come. It cannot inflict hardship on citizens and expect them to keep quiet.
