Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, is rallying Abuja youths and other stakeholders against participating in the planned statewide hunger and hardship protests from August 1 to 10.
During a ministerial engagement with FCT youths from Abuja South Federal Constituency in Kwali Area Council of the FCT 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.”
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, a similar meeting with stakeholders took place on Saturday at the Abuja Municipal Area Council.
The minister added that the conversation was intended to educate them on the negative aspects of protest and why they should not participate in it.
He praised the traditional rulers and local council chairmen for organising the engagement to educate FCT youths about the dangers of participating in a demonstration in which they have no stake.
“There is no need for the protest. The current administration is barely one year in office and not enough to assess its performance.
“You can’t judge leadership within one year. I have not been in office for up to a year, but I have done so much that should be appreciated and convince people that FCT is working,” he said.
Wike said that so much has been achieved in education, health, and other sectors, particularly security.
He urged residents to commend and encourage the security agencies to do more, adding that it would be unfair not to do so.
“It is not fair to say we have not done anything on insecurity when we have improved security in FCT,” Wike said.
Wike mentioned that in view of the current development in the FCT, what was desired was peace and not protest.
“We want peace in FCT, and so we cannot fold our hands and allow it to be destroyed under the guise of protest,” Wike said.
Regarding the proposed Federal Capital Territory University of Science and Technology, Abaji, the minister stated that work was on to ensure that the university was among the best in the country.
“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.
“We are currently on procurement to build classrooms, lecture theatres, and laboratories for the university,” he said.
