The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has outlined conditions for some Nigerians who want to use the Eagle Square for the Aug. 1 nationwide protest.
Wike gave the conditions during a town hall meeting in Abuja on Saturday, to dissuade FCT residents from participating in the nationwide protest.
He explained that the meeting was necessary for stakeholders in the FCT to agree on the need for peace and order, which could not be guaranteed if residents joined the protest.
“Who are these people who want to protest? They have applied to me to grant Eagle Square. Do you apply to me through social media?
“You will write a letter to the minister. I will see you; who are you; what do you want to do? How many days do you want to spend? How much will you pay?"
He said that he watched some unidentified persons on Channels TV news, telling the Inspector General of Police that they had applied.
“You don’t apply to me through Channels; you must apply properly. You must pay what we call security cost so that if there is any damage to the facility, we will take from that security cost and repair it.
“We don’t just give people because you have applied. You must fulfil the conditions. People have paid for Eagle Square, and you said you have applied to me now.
“So, I should go and cancel the other people’s own because you want to protest? It is first come, first served.
“I am not saying that people should not protest, but not protest that is aimed at destabilising the government,” he added.
The minister, who cautioned against a repeat of the #EndSARS protest experience, described Abuja as a centre of unity, adding the FCT Administration would not allow violence in the guise of protest.
He assured Nigerians that President Bola Tinubu was working to tackle the challenge of hunger and reduce suffering in the country through various policies and programmes.
He added that Tinubu had increased the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 within one year in office.
“That is not enough but it is to show signs that, ‘I appreciate; sign that I know there are problems.’
“He also set up a student loan scheme. This will not solve all the problems but at least, to cushion the hardship a bit.
“We owe him support; we owe him prayer.
“If Nigeria is destabilised, it will affect all of us. So, why are we going to allow this chief propagandist to dish out lies, and stories?" He asked.
He noted that a hungry man is an angry man, adding that the government has a duty to provide food to the residents, but also has a duty to provide infrastructure.
The minister said that roads were being constructed across the six area councils of the FCT to open-up rural areas for sustainable development.
He equally promised that the Abuja University would be established before the end of the current administration.
Also, the FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, said that the consultation reflects a shared commitment to fostering peace and collaboration within FCT.
“It is through such collective efforts and open dialogue that we can build stronger, more resilient partnerships and address the challenges we face together.
“It is your involvement that gives us hope for a more peaceful and prosperous future.
“Let me assure you that the FCT Administration will continue to engage you so that we can work together towards our common objectives,” Mahmoud said.
Earlier, Christopher Maikalangu, Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council, emphasised the responsibility of the government to protect lives and property.
Maikalangu expressed the government’s commitment to continue interfacing with the people, adding that dialogue was key to finding lasting solutions to the current hardship in the country and not protests.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conditions to allow the protest came two days after the minister had warned that FCT would not be available for the intending protesters against hunger and hardship on Aug. 1.
He explained after the FCT Security Council’s meeting on Thursday that Aug. 1 had been set aside for the Chairmen of the six Area Councils of the territory to recognise their traditional rulers.