Former Minister of Communications, Dr. Adebayo Shittu, has condemned the backlash against Nigerians who express dissatisfaction with President Bola Tinubu’s administration, stressing that free speech is essential to democracy.
Shittu’s remarks follow the controversy surrounding a Lagos-based National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Ushie Uguamaye (also known as Raye), who faced alleged threats from NYSC officials after her viral video criticizing the government.
While many Nigerians have shown solidarity with the corps member, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has called for the highest form of disciplinary action—expulsion from the NYSC.
Speaking on Tuesday at Eagle 102.5 FM’s 3rd Ramadan Lecture in Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, Shittu maintained that differing opinions are inevitable in a country of over 230 million people.
“People have the right to express their frustrations about government policies, and such views do not represent the entire population. Expecting everyone to think alike is unrealistic,” he said.
Responding to Ajayi’s stance, the former minister argued that criticism of government policies is not a capital offense and should not warrant extreme punitive measures.
“These statements are often media-driven and should not be grounds for severe punishment. Democracy permits free speech within legal limits,” Shittu added.
Shittu also criticized the decision by four northern states—Katsina, Kebbi, Bauchi, and Kano—to shut down schools for Ramadan, describing it as unnecessary and lacking religious justification.
Citing the Quran, he explained that Islam mandates businesses to pause only for Jum’ah prayer and resume afterward, making full school closures unjustifiable.
“Closing schools for Ramadan has no basis in Islam. Many students may not even spend the time praying as intended. If any adjustment is necessary, it should be limited to the last ten days of Ramadan for those observing I’tikaf,” he said.
Shittu maintained that shutting down schools for an entire month disrupts education without any clear benefit, urging state governments to reconsider the policy.
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