Last week a female corps member serving in Lagos State summoned the courage to challenge the Federal Government of Nigeria led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. She bitterly complained about the hardship she and other corps members were going through because of the thirty three thousand naira (N33,000) allowance corpers throughout the country received and the skyrocketting prices of food stuffs in the markets. She expressed her frustration and described the government as being terrible.
Hell was immediately let loose on her head, as it’s not easy to be an activist.The NYSC authorities invited her for query and many people including her fellow corpers condemned her and described her as busy-body and over-sabi person. She was vilified and given many negative labels. Some political sycophants ordered her to tender unreserved apology to the President and government of Nigeria. It was as if her security was no longer guaranteed in the heat of the quagmire. She courageously expressed her fears to Nigerians about her security.
However, some well meaning Nigerians who fully understand the economic hardship in the country understood her frustration as she sounded like one who was financially suffocating. They also understood she was just outspoken and not insulting.They took side with her, offered her emotional support and some even accompanied her to the NYSC office for the query. Funny enough, the NYSC officials ran away seeing the crowd accompanying her.
Earlier before then, the officials had called her on phone, trying to intimidate or threaten her, but the girl remained bold. The audacity in her reply to the NYSC boss was topnotch. It’s indeed, very good to be outspoken or assertive and this young lady is.
So, it was suspected that the NYSC officials disappeared because the nation was on fire already and the girl was no longer alone in the picture. They applied caution, that’s wisdom. I commend them for that. However, the girl who never at anytime lose her courage at the heat of the struggle, only humbled herself to apologize to Lagosians for describing their State as “dirty and smelly”. It became a case of humility and audacity standing side by side. Many Lagosians and Nigerians commended her doggedness and accepted her apologies.
Nevertheless, my worry is that almost all the corpers deserted her and she was almost standing alone if not for well meaning Nigerians like, Mr Peter Obi, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Mr Sowole, etc.
Consequent upon the audacity of this young heroin, a week after, the Federal Government of Nigeria raised the monthly allowance (allawee) of Corpers from the staggering N33,000 to Seventy seven thousand naira (N77,000). As you can see, it was doubled. Expectedly, Corpers nationwide went into wild jubilation. Some went to beer parlours and eateries and declared celebration galore. Many of them didn’t know that the N77,000 didn’t just come but a courageous young lady amongst them challenged the status quo to get the attention of the federal government to their plight.
Frankly speaking, Miss Ushie Rita Uguamaye fondly called Raye, is that courageous young lady that resisted intimation and bullying and became a beacon of hope and source of happiness to many young Nigerians and families today. Her boldness has changed the fortune of NYSC members for good. Those who passed out recently are regretting and wish if they could stay for a while to enjoy the new a
(A Clergy, Lecturer and Social Commentator)
It reminds me of my time as a corps member serving in Ekiti State in 2007 when we were receiving eight thousand five hundred naira (N8,500) under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, few months to our passing out, the Late former President Umaru Musa Yaradua who succeeded President Obasanjo, increased it to nine thousand five hundred naira (N9,500). Then, the Emure-Ekiti Local Government Chairman increased our local allowance from three thousand naira (N3,000) to five thousand naira (N5,000). Because of that extra one thousand naira (N1,000) from the Federal Government and extra two thousand naira (N2,000) from the Local Government, some outgoing Corpers wished to continue with the NYSC scheme but it was not possible. This is for Nigerians to know that extra “allawee” means a lot to a corper. In fact, corpers love allawee increments so much. To, all the organizations, agencies, ministries and parastals that employ the services of corps members, do well to upwardly review their local allowances periodically. It will encourage them to put in their best.
Meanwhile, everyone now expects National Youth Service Corps Members now to be at their best in the discharge of their duties at their places of primary assignment in appreciation to President Ashiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and the federal government of Nigeria. Unfortunately, we have not heard from Raye since the increment of the allowance. For me, that’s good. She has played her role and respected herself. Posterity will judge her kindly.
In conclusion, I want to call on all women groups, civil society organisations, women leaders in the country, people like Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili, Aisha Yusuf, etc not to abandon Raye after her NYSC programme. She has proved to be an inborn dogged activist who can work with the likes of Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili, Aisha Yusuf, etc and perform creditably. The brave young lady has shown capacity as a beacon of hope and source of inspiration to the youths and women in a country like Nigeria. Let her be protected, mentored and prepared for the future challenges by youth leaders and women of substance in Nigeria as mentioned above. Mr Seyi Tinubu should also reach out this young woman of valour and carry her along in things that concern the Nigerian youths. This girl, the voice of the voiceless, has written her name in gold and earned for herself much admiration from the good people of Nigeria. We shall continue to hold her in high esteem.
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