One of the leading organisers of the planned #EndBadGovernance protest against economic hardship, slated for August, has declared that Eagle Square in Abuja is a public property and that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, must allow “hungry Nigerian youths” to demonstrate their displeasure at the facility.
Damilare Adenola, the Director of Mobilisation for Take It Back Movement, a non-governmental organisation, made this statement on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme.
The protest, which has gained traction on social media, is scheduled to be held across all states of the Federation and the FCT in August.
The prices of food and basic commodities have skyrocketed in recent months, as Nigerians battle one of the country’s worst inflation rates and economic crises, exacerbated by the government’s policies of petrol subsidy removal and the unification of forex windows.
Adenola had signed a letter addressed to the minister seeking the use of the facility. The letter was dated July 26, 2024, and was circulated on social media platforms. However, the FCT minister said on Saturday that he hadn’t received the letter.
On Sunday, Adenola blamed the delay in the delivery of the letter on bureaucratic bottlenecks in government but assured that the minister would receive the letter by Monday, ahead of the demonstration starting Thursday.
“It is possible that the receipt of the letter is being delayed by bureaucracy in government, or the minister is being insincere about receiving the letter,” Adenola said. “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. If he wants it by Monday, we will serve him.”
He added, “The truth is that 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 the exorbitant fees he is expecting us to pay? We are going to be at Eagle Square on August 1.”
Adenola’s firm stance reflects the growing frustration among Nigerians, particularly the youth, who are struggling with the harsh economic realities and are eager to voice their grievances.
