Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike has expressed displeasure with the way traders from Apo Mechanic Village besieged the FCTA Secretariat without clearance from constituted authorities.
Wike described the action as an act of intimidation against his office.
The traders, who had demanded that the minister signs the lease agreement entered since 2015 to enable them move to their permanent site at Wassa District, carried different placards commending the developmental strides of the Wike-led administration.
Chairman of the traders association, Chimezie Ife, said his members are tired of waiting to be allocated their permanent business environment, having spent over N100 million.
He explained that since 2006 when the old Apo mechanic village was demolished with a promise for a permanent location, they waited until 2011 before applying for a land, but they were forced to spend over N100 million by officials of the administration.
Despite the efforts and expenses, he lamented that they are yet to be allocated their land. This, he added had prompted a series of demonstrations against the administration with the hope that the current minister will address the lingering issue.
Wike, who was obviously not impressed with the actions of the traders, berated them for neither writing his office to discuss the delay in the implementation of the lease agreement nor inform him of the protest.
The angry minister said he considers the protest as a being sponsored, seeing that there was no basis for it.
“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 refused to see you. What you did is to wake up in the morning, barricade the road and then say you are supporting me. I don’t need your support.
“What I don’t like is intimidation. If you have a problem, channel it to me and if I don’t solve it, then you can take another step.
“Something that happened since 2015 and you did not take any step. Ministers have come and gone, I just came and I have not received any letter from you that there is a problem and we think you can help us solve it. All of a sudden you are coming to say the good things I am doing. What good things? Then you don’t need the good things.”
He asked them to go back and follow due process so as to find a way forward.
“What you should do, tell your people to go, then write that you want to see me, we will sit down and talk. I am not someone that you can intimidate. If government has promised to give you land then I will look at the papers. Write to me so that I can listen to you.”.
“What I don’t like is intimidation. If you have a problem, channel it to me and if I don’t solve it, then you can take another step.
Nyesom Wike, FCT minister
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