By Daniel Tyokua
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has called on aggrieved Apo traders to follow due process in channeling their grievances to him and not protest.
Wike stated this while reacting to the action of traders from Apo mechanic village, who besieged the entrance of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Thursday, asking the minister to sign the lease agreement to enable them move to their permanent site at Wassa.
The minister said he assumed duties in FCT not long, and the traders didn’t seek to meet him over their grievances before embarking on the protest.
Wike who was visibly angry, described the act as an intimidation which he would not accept.
He berated them for neither writing his office to discuss the delay in implementation of the lease agreement nor to inform him of the protest, saying the protest is sponsored.
“If this is the way you support government, then I don’t need it. Is this the way you support government by barricading the road and obstruction of traffic without informing me of anything. You never wrote to me that you want to see me or that we refuse to see you. Then what you will do is to wake up in the morning, and barricade the road and barricade the gate and then you are saying you are supporting me? Then I don’t need your support.
“What I don’t like is intimidation. If you have a problem, channel your problem to me and if I don’t solve it, then you can take another step.
“Something that has happened since 2015 and you didn’t take any step. Ministers have come and gone, and then I just came and I haven’t received any letter from you till today, saying there is a problem we are having and we think you can help us to solve the problem. Then all of a sudden you are coming to say the good things am doing. What good things? Then you don’t need the good things.
He therefore asked them to go back, and follow the due process so as to find away forward.
“What you should do, tell your people to go, then write that you want to see me, then we will sit down and talk. I am not one of those ones anyone will come and intimidate. Barricading the road I don’t like it. People coming to tarnish the image of government is not right when we can sit and dialogue. If government have promised to give you land then I will look at the papers .Then write me so that I can listen to you.”
The traders who carried placards with different inscription commending the developmental strides of the minister, however appealed to him to sign the lease agreement which was entered since 2015.
Chairman of the traders association, Chimezie Ife, said his members were tired of waiting since 2006 to be allocated their permanent business environment, having spent over N100 million.
He said since 2006 when the old Apo mechanic village was demolished with a promise for a permanent location, they waited untill 2011 where they applied for a land, but were forced by officials of the Administration to spend over N100 million.
According to him, despite the efforts and expenses, he lamented that the traders are yet to be allocated their land. This, he said had prompted series of demonstrations against the administration with the hope the current FCT minister, Nyesom Wike will address the lingering issue.
