An aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has denied that the minister was fleeing demonstrators during a demonstration in Abuja on Monday, claiming that he just chose an alternate route after protesters blocked the main gate.
According to ARISE TV on Tuesday, the minister’s aide, Lere Olayinka, stated that Wike did not retreat from the aggrieved workers, despite viral videos spreading on social media.
He was quoted to have said, “The minister was not running away from anything. The entrance of the secretariat was barricaded by the protesters, and instead of instructing security to clear them, he chose to use a different exit from the Ministry of Agriculture so that he could make his way to the airport, where he was supposed to see the president off.”
Recall that tensions rose in Abuja on Monday when a group of protesting workers chased the minister’s motorcade during a demonstration over unresolved welfare and salary concerns.
Videos published online showed disgruntled workers pursuing a vehicle apparently carrying Wike while chanting slogans and drawing attention to their complaints.
Earlier on Monday, the workers, backed by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), demonstrated outside the National Industrial Court in Abuja as part of their ongoing indefinite strike, demanding Wike’s ouster and payment of overdue entitlements.
Protesters carried placards that read, “Wike must go!!” Witnesses at the scene reported “Abuja no be Rivers,” “Pay promotion arrears,” “Enough is Enough,” and “No working tools.”
The workers said they went on strike to address unsolved welfare issues such as five months of unpaid salaries, long-standing promotion arrears, and bad working conditions.
