Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike has appealed to youths in the nation’s capital not to join the planned August #EndBadGovernance protest against hardship and economic woes.
The former Rivers State governor had last week said the FCT was not available for any protest, attracting a barrage of strong reactions from youths who vowed to stage a rally at Eagle Square come next month.
However, the minister appeared to be soft-pedalling at a town hall meeting with youth stakeholders in the Bwari Area Council of the FCT on Monday when he urged them to talk about their grievances and shelve the planned nationwide protest.
Area council chairmen, traditional rulers, religious bodies, representatives of women and youth groups were present at the meeting.
In his welcome remarks, the FCT minister appreciated those present at the town hall for embracing dialogue, even as he maintained that President Bola Tinubu continues to do his best to move the nation forward.
On infrastructure development, Wike announced the President’s approval to create a youth secretariat in the FCT Administration (FCTA) and police stations in each area council in the nation’s capital.
He called on youths in all the area councils to shun the protest and embrace dialogue, assuring them that things will get better soon.