Lagos Corps Member Who Called Tinubu a ‘Terrible’ President Over Economic Hardship Alleges Threats from NYSC Leadership

A National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member currently serving in Lagos State has alleged that she received threats from NYSC officials after a video of her criticising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu went viral on social media.

The corps member, who goes by @talktoraye on TikTok, broke down in tears in the widely circulated video as she expressed frustration over the rising cost of living in Nigeria. She described President Tinubu as “terrible” and accused his administration of ignoring the economic struggles faced by ordinary Nigerians.

In the video, she said, “If a lot of Nigerians come out and start speaking about what we are going through, maybe changes will be made in the government. I don’t know if there is any other president that is as terrible as you, but you are such a terrible president.”

She highlighted her personal struggles as a corps member, stating that the monthly NYSC allowance is no longer sufficient to meet basic living needs. She said she often spends more than she earns due to the soaring prices of essentials. Citing examples, she questioned why a crate of eggs now costs as much as N6,500, recalling a time when it was just N800. She also decried the rising cost of electricity, security bills, and transportation, lamenting that even a simple outing with friends now requires over N25,000 for Uber rides.

The video also included harsh criticism of the condition of Lagos, with her saying, “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.”

Less than 24 hours after posting the video, the corps member shared another clip in which she claimed to have received several calls from NYSC officials warning her to take down the post and stop making political statements online. In that follow-up video, she said, “Dear Nigerians, they have my address. In case you guys don’t see me online, please you know who to hold accountable. I didn’t do anything wrong. I just asked that they work on the inflation.”