There are strong indications that the planned nationwide protest scheduled for August 1-10, may not take place in the Federal Capital Territory, as stakeholders have vowed to resist the action which many believe it’s aimed at embarrassing the government and distributing the peace of the nation.
The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has in the past few days been visiting area councils, including Kuje, Kwali and the Abuja Municipal Area Council, where he’s been calling on residents not to allow themselves to be used by those he described as election losers “who want to be in power at all cost.”
The minister also hosted a Town Hall Meeting with Stakeholders in the FCT on Saturday, where he promised to do his best to ensure that the current peace in the territory is not threatened.
Participants at the town hall meeting including women groups, youth, traditional and religious leaders, unanimously agreed that the protest was not in the interest of the FCT, as it could jeopardise the peace of the territory.
The Onah of Abaji and Chairman FCT Council of Chiefs, HRH, Alh. Adamu Baba Yunusa, noted that the dialogue with Stakeholders was necessary considering that Abuja is the seat of power and centre of the country.
Represented at the meeting by the Sarkin Kwali, HRH. Ismaila Mohammed, the Onah assured that nothing will happen in satellite towns as the traditional rulers have sensitised youths in their domains not to allow themselves to be used to break down law and order in the territory.
Meanwhile, the Chief Imam of the Area 10 Juma’a mosque, Yahaya Lawan, pointed that the country could not afford to go the Kenya.
He said religious gathering cannot take place where there’s no peace, adding that religious leaders will continue to preach against any form of violence or going against constituted authorities.
“Because we can’t achieve peace, development and growth. All our problems cannot be solved through violence.
He however called on government to engage the youth. “We need to engage the youths with vocational skills. We can’t do much on our own because the number of youths in our churches and mosques may not be more than 5000, but you can get millions of them on social media.”
On his part, the President of the FCT chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Suleiman Ango, said youths in the nation’s capital will not be party to any protest as they are satisfied with the performance of the current administration.
Ango however called for continuous engagement of youths not only when there’s a threat to avoid them becoming willing tools in the hands of politicians and detractors of government.
In addition, the youth leader called for more opportunities for mentorship and political appointment for the youths as well as the creation of a Youth Secretariat for their continous engagement.
He also called for the immediate reversal of the former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Edward Onoja, as Commissioner for Public Complaints Commission representing the FCT.
AMAC Chairman, Christopher Maikalangu, while welcoming stakeholders to the meeting, emphasized the rights of government to protect lives and property.
Maikalangu, while expressing the willingness and readiness of government to continuously interface with the people, affirmed that dialogue, not protests was the most potent means to ameliorating the current hardship in the country.
Similarly, a group of FCT indigenes under the umbrella of Abuja Aborigines Network, AAN, also vowed to resist the planned protest due to its potential of turning violent.
Founder of the group, Donald Amagbo, told a press conference in Abuja that the AAN would support the security agencies to fish out the undesirable elements living in Abuja.
“We hereby condemn in totality and ready to resist the planned protest designated to be in some landmark cities in Nigeria including Abuja due to the confirmed investigation that it was aimed at causing anarchy and making Nigeria to look ungovernable and failed State.
“Hence, we the Abuja Aborigines Network, AAN, hereby pledge to support the security agencies; to fish out the undesirable elements living in Abuja. Because we don’t want this unrest but desire peace. We also feel the pains of presidents reforms but can also see the progress made in FCT by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.”
Responding to the various issues raised at the town hall meeting, the FCT Minister thanked the stakeholders for their contributions and promised to do everything possible to maintain the peace in the territory.
Wike said the FCT will not support the protest whose sponsors remain faceless.
He said: “There are politicians who want to be in power at all cost, who are these people who want to protest. Even on social media that have applied to me to grant the Eagle Square for protest. Do you apply to me through social media? You will write to the office of the minister, I will see you, and ask you how many days do you want to spend? How much will you pay?
“There are people who lost elections, the only way they can be relevant is to overthrow the government in whichever way. We will not allow that. I have seen all kinds of threats that I will die tomorrow, I know I will die one day, so you do not need to remind me of that. If I die tomorrow, you are not the one that killed me, it is my time. I will die the day God says I will die.”
He said protest doesn’t solve problems, it rather creats more protest as hoodlums can hijack the process.
He recognised that protest are the rights of the citizens but must be done within the ambit of the law.
“Protest does not solve any problem. Protest creates small problems because hoodlums will always want to take advantage in order to cause a crisis. I have always said that there is nothing wrong, it is your right to protest, but it will be within the ambit of the law. A protest that is geared towards destruction, and geared to overthrow the government then that is not a legitimate protest”.
The Minister, therefore called on residents to be patient with President Bola Tinubu, assuring that the president has the capacity to tackle the current economic challenges and further deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.
