The organisers of the deliberate starvation protest in Abuja have advised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that there’s nothing that may cease them from utilizing Eagle Sq..
Recall {that a} group, Take It Again Motion, had written to the minister requesting using Eagle Sq. for its protest on August 1, in addition to the availability of safety and utilities throughout the protest.
In its letter signed by its Director of Mobilization, Damilare Adenola, on Friday, the group additionally said that the minister should “guarantee the availability of a 24-hour energy provide, bathroom amenities, water, and safety for the comfort of Nigerian residents who will probably be camped out at Eagle Sq.”.
Nevertheless, the minister stated that protesters who want to use Eagle Sq. should apply correctly and pay safety prices for his or her scheduled protest within the FCT.
Throughout a City Corridor Assembly held within the Convention Room of the Federal Capital Growth Authority in Abuja on Saturday, Wike mentioned the group had solely utilized by way of social media and tv appearances.
Talking in an interview on Channels Tv’s Sunday Politics programme, Adenola mentioned Wike has no selection however to permit “hungry Nigerian youths” to make use of the power for the protest.
He blamed the delay within the supply of the letter on paperwork within the authorities, saying that Wike would get the letter unfailingly on Monday forward of the demonstration beginning on Thursday.
Adenola asserted that Eagle Sq. is public property and the minister shouldn’t anticipate the protesters, who’re youths, to pay the exorbitant charge he’s asking.
He mentioned, “It’s doable that the receipt of the letter is being delayed by probably paperwork in authorities or the minister is probably going being insincere about receiving the letter.
“If he (Wike) insists that he hasn’t acquired it, the choice is that he was served by publication as a result of many Nigerian ministries streamline what to obtain or not. If he says he didn’t get it bodily, then we may as nicely say that he was served by publication.
“If he says he desires it by Monday, we are going to serve him. The reality is that Eagle Sq. is a public property. After I noticed the video of the minister, I used to be amazed as a result of I noticed the minister asking us to pay lease, pay safety charges and all that.
“My query to the minister is that this: how does the minister anticipate a higher inhabitants of Nigerian youths who’re impoverished, who haven’t any jobs to afford to exorbitant he’s anticipating us to pay? We’re going to be on the Eagle Sq. on August 1st.”
Talking additional, Adenola claimed that the checking account of his organisation was blocked on the orders of the Division of State Companies.
He added that the financial institution was but to answer the group’s letters.
“The account of the TIB was arbitrarily blocked by UBA allegedly on the orders of the DSS,” he mentioned.