By Omeiza Ajayi

Federal Capital Territory FCT Minister, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike has declared that the nation’s Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, will not be available for the planned nationwide protests against President Bola Tinubu slated to commence from August 1.

Wike made the declaration Thursday after a meeting of the FCT Security Council in Abuja.

The minister had earlier in the day inspected a road project in Saburi, a community on the Kubwa Expressway, where he told residents not to join “armed robbers” for any protest.

“Don’t go and follow these armed robbers on the road who said they want to protest. There is nothing like protests. Abuja won’t be part of it. What you want is good governance and we are willing to give you good governance”, the minister told a crowd of jubilant residents in pidgin.

While he promised to provide the community with a Police Station, he told the Council Chairman to build a health Centre for them too.

Speaking after the meeting with heads of security agencies in the territory, Wike said; “We are all aware of the threat as regards to what some people may call ‘End bad governance protest’. We believe that yes, we have right to protest; we have right to demonstrate, but all these have to come within the ambit of the law.

“This period we think that all Nigerians should work collectively in order to salvage our country.

“I am aware that there are challenges, and Mr President and his team are working very hard to make sure that those challenges, those problems facing our country are being solved. We know that it is a very difficult period for citizens.

“We urge all Nigerians to also have patience that at the end of the day, we will come out of this economic woes. We have seen the changes in the FCT, we have seen that government is working. Mr President has given FCT so much support, and that is why all of us can attest to the fact that there is a lot of changes going on in the FCT, and therefore we will not allow anybody to set us back, as we are looking forward to making sure that we take FCT to where it is supposed to be, as one of the major cities not only in Africa, but also in the world.

“So, we will not allow anybody to disrupt the peace and set us back. For those who want to protest on the first of August or thereabout, FCT is not available for such protest.

“Fortunately though, that is the day FCT has set aside, the entire Area Councils will be jubilating to give out certificates of recognition to their traditional rulers. So, we will not allow that day that the entire FCT has set aside to honour their traditional rulers for the people to come and rejoice, and then somebody would say that he wants to disrupt us that day.

“We want to make it categorically clear, that the day is a day the entire six Area Councils will be meeting to recognize and give out certificates of honour to their traditional rulers.

“We also invite our people to come and join us that day in celebrating, it is part of the achievements of the administration, so let the whole world hear us, and hear us very well that that day is not available for those who want to protest, and FCT is not available for the protesters”, he added.