Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is actively mobilizing Abuja’s youth and stakeholders to avoid participating in the planned nationwide protests scheduled from August 1 to 10, which are aimed at addressing hunger and hardship.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, during a ministerial meeting with FCT youths from Abuja South Federal Constituency in Kwali Area Council on Sunday, Wike stated, “Youths and other stakeholders in Bwari and Gwagwalada Area Councils will also be engaged on the same issue in the coming days.”
A similar engagement with stakeholders in Abuja Municipal Area Council was held on Saturday.
Wike explained that these interactions are intended to educate the public on the negative aspects of the protest and why they should refrain from participating.
He expressed gratitude to traditional rulers and area council chairmen for their efforts in informing the FCT youth about the protest’s potential pitfalls.
The minister argued that “There is no need for the protest. The current administration is barely one year in office and not enough to assess its performance.”
He emphasized that it is premature to judge the administration’s effectiveness within such a short time, asserting that despite being in office for less than a year, substantial progress has been made in various sectors, including education, health, and particularly security.
Wike urged residents to acknowledge and support the improvements in security, stating, “It is not fair to say we have not done anything on insecurity when we have improved security in FCT.”
Highlighting the need for peace, Wike noted, “We want peace in FCT and so, we cannot fold our hands and allow it to be destroyed in the guise of protest.”
Regarding the Federal Capital Territory University of Science and Technology, Abaji, Wike assured that efforts are underway to ensure the university’s excellence.
“I don’t want to set up a glorified university. I want to put up a university that we will all be proud to have and gladly tell the world that this is the university I attended,” he said.
On land issues, Wike lamented, “The problem of Abuja is land. Once you’re made a minister, it is as if you are coming to share land.”
He criticized the overwhelming focus on land over development needs, stating, “Nobody talks about development. Everybody is land, land, land, land, land. I feel so bad. Each time I am in my office, when 20 people come to see me, 18 will talk about land.”
Wike called on the youth to support the current government and steer clear of the upcoming protests, which he described as driven by unclear agendas.
