Nigerian actress, Yvonne Jegede has publicly come out to announce her withdrawal from national advocacy, stating that the public’s reaction to her commentary makes it difficult to advocate for Nigerians.
The decision follows heavy social media criticism directed at Jegede after she spoke out against double taxation and systemic governance failures. In her original commentary, the actress criticized a system where citizens pay taxes but are still forced to personally fund their own basic infrastructure, while public revenues are diverted to political elites.
“So after they work hard to earn and then pay their taxes, they should help the government to provide a better life for the masses. While the tax collected is meant for some family members,” Jegede wrote, adding that the state of the country had severely impacted her mental well-being.
Following the mixed and often hostile responses to her post, Jegede explained that the public frequently attacks figures who voice opposition to systemic issues, which explains why many public figures choose silence during crises.
“The more I speak of the uncommon things I see happening in my country, the more people drag me,” she stated.
The actress noted that while she naturally struggles to ignore systemic injustice, she has concluded that the level of division and hostility among citizens makes advocating for them unproductive.
“I wasn’t born to look the other way when humanity is being trampled upon but you see Nigerians aren’t worth fighting for because bigotry is the order of the day,” Jegede added.
