Minister warns against hunger protest, says promoters faceless

The Minister of the Niger Delta Development, Abubakar Momoh, has called on youths in the Niger Delta Development area to shun the planned nationwide protest on August 1.

Momoh said most of the promoters of the protest are faceless individuals who reside outside the country, pointing out that they aim to destroy Nigeria.

Momoh made the call while speaking to newsmen in Bera Community in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State when he accompanied his counterpart in the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal to the area to commission water projects.

Momoh stated, “Wherever I find myself, I have always sent that message. And yesterday, even in the traditional rulers’ house and in the public field, I made it clear that August 1st is suspected to be a date when faceless individuals want to protest. I don’t think of anybody who is from this area, Ogoni would participate.

“And the entire Niger Delta should not have anything to do with it (protest) because the people who are planning it, they are faceless. They are not residents of Nigeria. Most of them are outside the country.

“They want to destroy your country while they are there living in comfort zones. So we should not allow the youth of our area to have anything to do with the protests. Because of the protests, you know how it starts, but you don’t know how it ends.

“You saw the EndSARs in Lagos. You can see the massive destruction that was done to Lagos. If the economy of Lagos is not a very strong one, in fact, it will be very difficult for them to recover.

“And imagine, allowing such a protest to happen in places like this, and even in Port Harcourt and the Niger Delta region, who is going to lose? We are the ones who are going to lose. We are not as strong as Lagos.”

While noting that it goes beyond President Tinubu, the Minister added, “What is being planned now is how to disrupt Nigeria, and to let you know that there is no country today, an adverse nation, that would want Nigeria to make progress.

“So I think, let me use this opportunity to appeal to the entire masses, particularly the traditional rulers, the youth, and the women, not to allow themselves to be deceived by anybody,” Momoh said.

Momoh recalled that sometime in 2011, some people had said that by 2015 the country was going to collapse, saying the purveyors did every manipulation to see that Nigeria did not survive but failed.

He said, “Has Nigeria not survived? So they are surprised that a lot of progress has been made in this country. And we should not give them an opportunity.

“And as the fourth estate of the realm, it is your duty and your responsibility, in your analysis, to continue to tell the whole world that this type of protest is not necessary, it’s irrelevant, and it will not do anybody any good. Therefore, since I’m in Ogoni land, I want to appeal to the youth of Ogoni.

“They should take time to see what is being done in their respective domains. And let some of them, at least those contractors, and the chairman of the Board of Trustees, I’m sure, from time to time, organize some of the youth groups, take some of them, let them go around and see what is happening. At that time, they will be convinced that the HIPREP (the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project) is working.

“As far as I’m concerned, now that I’m here, I can make bold to say that HIPREP is working, and they are doing what they are supposed to do.”