FCT youths distance selves from planned hunger protest
By Sadiq Abubakar, Abuja
The indigenous youths/residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the umbrella of FCT Youth Stakeholders (FYS) have distanced themselves from the planned nationwide hunger protest billed for August 1, 2024 in the country.
Addressing newsmen shortly after FCT youth engagement meeting in Abuja, yesterday, the spokesperson of the youth stakeholders, Comrade Yunusa Ahmadu Yusuf, said they are against the planned hunger protest because it is capable of being hijacked by hoodlums who may loot and cause breakdown of law and order in the territory.
He said the FCT indigenous youth/residents have no reason to join the hunger protest being organized by some faceless individuals, saying the APC led administration under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been able to identify with both the indigenous people and residents of the FCT.
He said the sponsors of the hunger protest were not known to the youth of the FCT, saying such planned protest were political motivated that is aimed at destroying peace and order being enjoyed by the people of the territory.
According to him, the youths shall mobilize themselves across all the entry and exit point of the FCT to resist against any group will be coming from neighbouring states of Nasarawa, Niger and Kogi state to cause a break down of law and order in the FCT.
“We are not just dissociating, we want to tell them that we don’t want to see anybody coming from neighbouring state to protest in Abuja, on August, 1, 2024, which is why we the FCT indigenes and residents as well as 45 other civil society groups decided to come together and resolved in one voice that we are not going to be part of the planned nationwide hunger protest,” he said.
He said the youth of the FCT has held several peaceful protests for over 15 years without any leading to break down of law and order, saying the people of the territory were conversant with how some political motivated protests in some African countries has resulted to loss of lives and property.
He added ” FCT is our own hence we will not allow anybody for political reasons to come down here and cause problem for us because intelligence information at our disposal showed that some mercenaries have been hired from Nasarawa, Niger and Kogi state to come to Abuja, to carry out the hunger protest and we are ready to resist them,” he said
