ONE of the arrowheads of the planned #EndBadGovernance protest against economic hardship slated for August says the Eagle Square in Abuja is a public property and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike has no choice than to allow “hungry Nigerian youths” demonstrate their displeasure on the facility.
Damilare Adenola, the Director of Mobilisation of Take It Back Movement, a non-governmental organisation, said yesterday.
The youth leader had signed a letter addressed to the minister seeking the use of the facility. The letter was dated July 26, 2024, and was broadcast on social media platforms.
However, the FCT minister said on Saturday that he hadn’t received the letter.
“It is possible that the receipt of the letter is being delayed by most likely bureaucracy in government or the minister is likely being insincere about receiving the letter,” Adenola said.
“If he (Wike) insists that he hasn’t received it, the alternative is that he was served by publication because many Nigerian ministries streamline what to receive or not. If he says he didn’t get it physically, then we could as well say that he was served by publication.
“If he says he wants it by Monday, we will serve him.”
“The truth is that the Eagle Square is a public property. When I saw the video of the minister, I was amazed because I saw the minister asking us to pay rent, pay security fees and all that. My question to the minister is this: how does the minister expect a greater population of Nigerian youths who are impoverished, who have no jobs to afford to exorbitant he is expecting us to pay?
“We are going to be at the Eagle Square on August 1st,” he said.