The alleged organizers of the proposed nationwide protest has threatened that they would use the Eagle Square in Abuja for their planned protest on August 1.
This disclosed by one of the organizers, the Take It Back Movement. The group stated that it would go ahead with the protest at Eagle Square in Abuja, whether or not the government approves usage of the venue.
This was confirmed in a statement by the Mobilization Director of the movement, Damilare Adenola.
Speaking on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics, he said the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had been written to for permission.
Adenola said the youth leader had signed a letter addressed to the minister, seeking use of the facility.
“The letter was dated July 26, 2024, and was broadcast on social media platforms” he said.
Recall that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, Nyesom Wike has denied receipt of request for the use of the Square by any group.
Speaking on the request for the use of the Square, the Minister on Saturday said he hadn’t received the letter.
Wike asked, “Who are these people who want to protest? Have they have applied to me to grant them the Eagle Square? Do you apply to me through the 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?
“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 destabilizing the government,” the Minister said.
However, Adenola, on Sunday, blamed the delay in the delivery of the letter on bureaucratic bottlenecks in government. He, however, stated that the Minister would get the letter unfailingly on Monday.
“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.
“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.
“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 what he is expecting us to pay?
“We are going to be at the Eagle Square on August 1st,” Adenola insisted.
source: Daily Trust
Follow us for more news on our WhatsApp News Channels @
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaC505jB4hdZ5Yx9g82U
