Planned nationwide protests politically motivated – Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the nationwide protest scheduled for 1 August, alleging that it is politically- motivated.

Speaking after an inspection of the Apo-Karshi Road project on Tuesday, Mr Wike urged patience from the public, stating that the current administration is tackling substantial challenges inherited from the previous ones.

“Let’s tell ourselves the simple truth. If we are playing politics, let’s say we are playing politics; if we want to be sincere to ourselves, let’s be sincere to ourselves and help our country.

“The country is rotten. You know that the country is rotten, and a government has just come to see what it can do to at least move it from where we are to a certain level, and you say that miracle must be performed within one year.

“You are here now; we are talking about a project that was awarded 13 good years ago; what has happened? Nothing.

“Now a government has come to see how it can fix all these things, and we are in too much of a hurry demanding that it must be done now.

“It is not possible. The protest is a political protest,” he said.

The minister acknowledged that people were not happy due to hunger and unemployment, adding, however, that the current administration was not responsible for the current level of unemployment in the country.

According to him, the Tinubu administration is working hard to put things together, which of course, will take some time.

“So, let’s not listen to political protesters and political jobbers who just want to be popular. You know there are some people who believe that if they don’t criticise, they will not be popular.

“We are going to elections very soon; these are political gimmicks.

“Just know that the government is a serious government and working to solve the problem.

“We believe that things will turn around, but we should be patient with the government,” he said.

Some Nigerian youth have planned to embark on a week-long protest over hunger and insecurity.

READ ALSO: Wike pledges to complete Abuja’s Apo-Karshi Road in seven months

While some groups and individuals have distanced themselves from the planned protest, others insisted it must hold to draw the attention of the government and the international community to the sufferings of Nigerians.

Last Saturday, the presidency, through the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had accused the supporters of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, of being behind the planned 1 August protest.

On Wednesday, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, said the police would respond to the protest in the most professional manner.