Eagle Square public property, protest organisers dare Wike

The organizers of the planned hunger protest in Abuja have informed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that they intend to utilize Eagle Square for their demonstration despite any potential obstacles. It should be recalled that a group, the Take It Back Movement, had previously written to the Minister requesting the use of Eagle Square for its protest on August 1, as well as the provision of security and utilities for the duration of the protest. In its letter, dated Friday and signed by the Director of Mobilization, Damilare Adenola, the group also stated that the Minister must "ensure the provision of a 24-hour power supply, toilet facilities, water, and security for the convenience of Nigerian citizens who will be camped out at Eagle Square." However, the Minister stated that any group wishing to use Eagle Square must submit a formal application and cover the associated security costs for their scheduled protest in the FCT. During a town hall meeting held in the Federal Capital Development Authority conference room in Abuja on Saturday, Wike stated that the group had only submitted their application via social media and television appearances. In an interview on Channels Television's Sunday Politics program, Adenola asserted that Wike has no alternative but to permit the utilization of the facility by the impassioned Nigerian youth. He attributed the delay in the letter's delivery to bureaucratic processes within the government, stating that it would be delivered to Wike on Monday, in advance of the demonstration scheduled to commence on Thursday. Adenola stated that Eagle Square is a public asset and that the Minister should refrain from anticipating remuneration from the demonstrators, who are primarily young people. He posited that the letter's receipt may be delayed due to bureaucratic processes within the government or due to the Minister's potential insincerity regarding the letter's receipt. "If he (Wike) persists in his assertion that he has not received the letter, the alternative is that it was served to him by publication, given that many Nigerian ministries only accept certain items for review. If he asserts that he has not received the document in question, concluding that he was served by publication would be reasonable. "Should he indicate a preference for receipt by Monday, we shall comply." Eagle Square is a public property. Upon viewing the Minister's video, I was astonished to observe him requesting payment for rent and security fees. "I would like to pose a question to the Minister. How does the Minister expect a greater population of impoverished and unemployed Nigerian youths to afford the exorbitant fees he requests? "We will be present at Eagle Square on August 1." Furthermore, Adenola asserted that the Department of State Services had frozen his organization's bank account. Furthermore, he stated that the financial institution had not responded to the group's written correspondence.

Eagle Square public property, protest organisers dare Wike

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