By Samuel Timothy
The organisers of the planned hunger protest in Abuja have firmly informed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that their protest at Eagle Square will proceed as planned on August 1, regardless of any obstacles.
The group, Take It Back Movement, had previously sent a request to the minister seeking permission to use Eagle Square for their protest. They also requested security and utilities for the duration of the event. In a letter signed by the Director of Mobilization, Damilare Adenola, on Friday, the group demanded a 24-hour power supply, toilet facilities, water, and security for the convenience of protesters who would be camped out at the venue.
In response, Minister Wike stated that protesters must properly apply and cover security costs for their event in the Federal Capital Territory. During a Town Hall Meeting at the Federal Capital Development Authority in Abuja on Saturday, Wike mentioned that the group had only made their application via social media and television appearances.
However, during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme, Adenola asserted that Wike has no choice but to allow the “hungry Nigerian youths” to use the facility for the protest. He attributed the delay in delivering the formal letter to government bureaucracy and assured that Wike would receive the letter by Monday, ahead of the protest scheduled to start on Thursday.
Adenola emphasized that Eagle Square is public property and criticized the minister’s demand for an exorbitant fee. He said, “It is possible that the receipt of the letter is being delayed by bureaucracy in government or the minister is likely being insincere about receiving the letter. If he insists that he hasn’t received it, we could consider him served by publication.”
He continued, “The truth is that Eagle Square is a public property. The minister’s expectation for us to pay rent and security fees is unreasonable considering the impoverished state of many Nigerian youths. We will be at Eagle Square on August 1st.”
Additionally, Adenola claimed that the bank account of the Take It Back Movement was blocked on the orders of the Department of State Services (DSS). He mentioned that the bank has yet to respond to the group’s inquiries about the account blockade.
“The account of the TIB was arbitrarily blocked by UBA allegedly on the orders of the DSS,” Adenola stated.
The protest is set to proceed, highlighting the group’s determination to make their voices heard despite bureaucratic and financial challenges.
