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WHEN A CLEANER EARNS MORE THAN A PHD HOLDER: THE NIGERIAN EDUCATION SCAM

Emmanuel Okom
Introduction In Nigeria today, it has become painfully evident that education no longer pays. The irony is loud and clear: a person who has laboured through the grueling academic ladder – first degree, Master’s, and PhD – often finds themselves poorer than someone who sweeps office floors in other African countries. Across Africa and beyond, janitors and cleaners are treated with greater financial dignity than Nigerian scholars. This is not to smear the reputation of the janitors, or ridicule the honest cleaners; rather, it is to highlight the shameful undervaluing of academic excellence in Nigeria. When a PhD holder lives in debt, and a cleaner in South Africa, Kenya, or Ghana lives in dignity, something is tragically wrong with our system. It reveals, in the very depth, the misplacement of priorities in the country, and the endemic corruption that continues to perforate the socio-economic fabric of the Nigerian state.  Table  1 and 2 below reveal frighteningly the dispar...
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NIGERIA’S SHACKLED USHIE RITA UGUAMAYE: THE PRICE OF FREE SPEECH IN THE TINUBU GOVERNMENT

Emmanuel Okom


In a chilling display of power and oppression, the Nigerian government has once again shown its intolerance for dissent, targeting one of its own – a young National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Ushie Rita Uguamaye, popularly known as Raye. Her crime? Speaking out against the harrowing economic reality suffocating the average Nigerian.

 Raye’s viral TikTok video laid bare the hardships corps members face under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, exposing the skyrocketing cost of living and the meagre stipend given to NYSC members. From N800 to N6,500 for a crate of eggs, from 100% to 150% call and data hike (see THE CONSPIRACY AGAINST MOBILE NETWORK INTERLOCUTORS )from hope to despair – her lament resonated with millions. However, instead of addressing the concerns of a struggling populace, the government chose intimidation.

 The NYSC authorities reportedly sent her threatening messages, compelling her to take down the video. A leaked conversation revealed an official rebuking her, a stark reminder that in Nigeria, even the most benign criticism is met with suppression. (gazettengr.com) The suppression of voices critical of the government is becoming a disturbing trend. A clear example is found in Military Checkpoints and the Erosion of Human Rights in Nigeria, The Akpoti Thorn in the Akpabio Flesh and Attempting to Silence the  Akpoti Voice.

 In response to the viral TikTok video, Presidential aide Temitope Ajayi suggested capital punishment for Ushie Rita Uguamaye. Facing a backlash for suggesting "capital punishment" under NYSC regulations, Ajayi clarified that he referred to the maximum disciplinary action within NYSC, which is expulsion, not execution. (punchng.com)

 A Government That Betrays Its Youth

Only months ago, the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Yusha’u Ahmed, announced that corps members would begin receiving a monthly allowance of ₦77,000 starting from February 2025. (premiumtimesng.com) This increase was aligned with the Federal Government's approval of a new minimum wage of ₦70,000 for civil servants. (businessday.ng) However, despite these assurances, NYSC members continue to receive the previous allowance of ₦33,000, a sum that barely covers basic living expenses. (thenationonlineng.net) This discrepancy between promise and reality has left many feeling abandoned by a government that expects their loyalty yet fails to uphold its commitments.

 If Raye had not courageously spoken out as she did, perhaps the recent implementation of the ₦77,000 allowance would have remained a pipe dream.

 At a time when Nigeria is burdened with monumental foreign debt, which these young people will inevitably shoulder in the future, the least they deserve is a means to survive. As of September 2024, Nigeria's external debt reached $43.0 billion. (ceicdata.com) Projections indicate that the total public debt could escalate to N187.79 trillion by 2025. (businessday.ng) The government appears to have sold its future leaders short, neglecting the very generation expected to rebuild a nation strained by fiscal mismanagement and corruption. Where is the justice in starving those who are meant to pay these gargantuan debts and secure the nation's future? Will they ever be able to commit themselves to the noble institution of marriage, with the growing hardship tightening dangeriously around their tender necks? (For their growing difficulty to be committed marriage, please, read: IS MARRIAGE ON ITS DEATHBED? and THE MARRIAGE SCAM. )

 The Global Contradiction: Freedom of Speech in Other Nations

A glance beyond Nigeria’s borders shows a stark contrast. In Western democracies, freedom of speech is sacrosanct. Young people in the United States, France, or even neighbouring Ghana can criticize their governments without fearing retribution. Protest movements such as Black Lives Matter or the Yellow Vest Movement have seen citizens openly challenge their leaders, yet they are met with dialogue rather than state-sanctioned threats.

 But in Nigeria, the script is different. The government, under the pretence of maintaining order, clamps down on voices that challenge its authority. A corps member’s cry for help is treated as sedition. This is not just an attack on Raye; it is an attack on every young Nigerian daring to hope for a better future.

 The Bigger Picture: Nigeria’s Human Rights Crisis

Raye’s ordeal is but a symptom of a deeper crisis. Nigeria’s human rights record continues to deteriorate, with dissenters harassed, journalists jailed, and protests crushed with brutal force. From the infamous #EndSARS movement to the recent crackdown on critics of Tinubu’s policies, the government has made it clear that free speech is a privilege, not a right. (amnesty.org)

 The question remains: for how long? How long will young Nigerians continue to be gagged while their futures are auctioned off to foreign creditors? How long before speaking the truth is no longer a death sentence?

 At a Crossroads: Will Nigeria Choose Dialogue or Repression?

As public outrage mounts, figures like Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour have voiced their support for Raye, condemning the threats against her. (vanguardngr.com) But will this be enough?

 The Nigerian government stands at a crossroads: embrace dialogue and reform or tighten its grip on free speech, spiralling further into authoritarianism. The world is watching, and history does not forget.

 For now, one thing is certain – Nigeria’s youth will not be silenced forever. The fire has been lit, and it is only a matter of time before it consumes the lies, the deception, and the oppression.

 And when that time comes, will the government listen, or will it still pretend that hunger, frustration, and disillusionment do not exist?

                                                                                                             OKOM, Emmanuel Njor (PhD)  

For further insight into the situation involving NYSC member, Ushie Rita Uguamaye, you may find the following videos informative:

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