Ever since the post on TikTok made by a member of the current National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), serving in Lagos State, Ushie Rita Uguamaye popularly known as ?Raye?, went viral and her invitation for questioning by the Eti-Osa Local Government Inspector (LGI) questions have been raised about the right to freedom of speech by the citizens in a democratic dispensation.

The backlash she has received from the President Bola Tinubu-led government and its supporters has exacerbated an already tense socio-economic situation. Speaking on the soaring inflation, Raye had this question to ask: ?I want to know, what government is doing about this increase? 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 as ?terrible? as you, Mister Tinubu.? As expected, that singular comment has triggered diverse opinions from the two sides of the socio-political divide.

While a former Minister of Education and Human Rights activist, Oby Ezekwesili, applauded Raye?s comment, describing it on her X handle as ?bold? and stating that she has just taught the citizens ?Democracy 101?, the founder of Silverbird Media Group, Ben Murray-Bruce urged Nigerians both at home and abroad to stop criticising our government, urging they are human beings and vulnerable to making mistakes.

But on her part, renowned Nollywood actress, Kate Henshaw, in response to Bruce?s position described it as not a believable comment.

She insisted that he should not have made such a statement well aware of the scary economic situation on ground. As Ezekwesili highlighted, to demand accountability from public leaders, as Raye has done, is both our constitutional right and duty of every citizen.

Bolstering this stance, a Human Rights lawyer, Inubehe Effiong, reminded Nigerians that going by Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution what Raye has stated is her right and indeed, ours as well to freedom of expression. But the NYSC, specifically the Eti-Osa LGI did not view it from that perspective, hence the invitation to Raye for interrogation.

According to the World Bank report as of late 2024 some 129 million helpless Nigerians were caught in the poverty trap. Yet, the situation can still get worse

That perhaps explains why the renowned Human Rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, and some attorneys accompanied her to the NYSC office, though it was reported that the officials were not available to welcome and listen to their own side of the evolving story. Yet, the pertinent questions related to Raye?s comments remain.

For instance, has she no right, as a citizen of Nigeria to express her views on the state of the nation? Was her comment made against any law of the la?d? Is the economic situation as bad as she has painted it?

As answers to these questions, let us take a look at the economic situation as it has played out since President Bola Tinubu took over the baton of political leadership from his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.

It Is on record that his decision to remove the fuel subsidy right on the day of his being sworn in as the president on May 29, 2023 has had spiraling effects on the cost of living.

Though it was done surreptitiously to free off funds for infrastructural development and social programs the economic scenario has remained volatile.

The government?s subsequent interventions through cushioning palliatives and increase in minimum wage have failed to bring the much-needed succour.

Even the unification of the exchange rate has triggered widespread economic distress, worse still under soaring cost of living. According to the World Bank report as of late 2024 some 129 million helpless Nigerians were caught in the poverty trap.

Yet, the situation can still get worse. With regards to the warning given by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Nigeria could become an economically unstable country to live in over the next five years. But some of our experts on the economy see a ray of hope.

They point to the inflation rate which stood at an astonishing 34.08% in December 2024 but has since dropped to 24.48% from the month of January 2025.

In fact, according to the President of the Nigeria Economic Society (NES), Adeola Adenikinju, the recovery has started in earnest, more so with the inputs from the exchange rate stakeholders, the energy price adjustments and the declining food costs.

The price of 50kg of foreign rice that skyrocketed from N50, 000 early in 2024 to N100, 000 now hovers between N80, 000 and N90, 000. But there is a piece of warning from experts on the economy that with the fluctuation experienced in the global oil prices there are still dangers ahead.

So, narrowing it down to Raye?s views as expressed it should serve as a wake-up call on the President Tinubu-led administration to understand that there is still hunger and the attendant anger in the land.

According to Section 14 Sub-Section (2)(b) of the 1999 constitution, as amended the primary purpose of government is to guarantee security of lives and property and equally important, to provide for our welfare. (New Telegraph Editorial)

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