The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has labelled the planned national protest on August 1 as politically motivated.
Wike announced this on Tuesday in Abuja during an inspection trip of the Apo Karshi Road, adding the planned demonstration seeks to deflect Nigerians’ attention from the efforts of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.
He urged Nigerians to be patient with the federal government as plans are being developed to provide relief to the populace.
In addition, the minister gave the contractors of the Apo-Karshi Road a seven-month deadline to complete the project.
Dissatisfied with the slow pace of work on the road, Wike stated that the delay is not far-fetched from those with personal and political interests.
He stated that 80% of the money given for the contract had been paid, and there was no reason for the contract to be incomplete.
The Apo-Karshi project was granted in 2011 under President Goodluck Jonathan’s government for a cost of around N6 billion.
13 years later, the approximately 13-kilometer project has yet to be completed.
Shelve the Protest
Worried about the impact of the protest on the economy and security, President Bola Tinubu has asked the organisers of the ‘EndBadGovernance’ rally to postpone their action.
The protest against economic hardship, which has gained pace on social media, is set to take place in all states of the Federation as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in August. The protest organisers have not been identified.
Prices for food and basic goods have skyrocketed in recent months, as Nigerians grapple with one of the country’s biggest inflation and economic crises, triggered by the government’s dual policies of removing petrol subsidies and unifying forex windows.