*’Wike Is On The Run! Staff Are Following Him!’
*Why Are They Following The Minister? Are They Following With Cutlasses To Harm Him?, Aide Queries
By Felix Durumbah, Abuja
A video depicting striking workers of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) mocking the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, as fleeing from protesting staff by taking an alleged back gate, has sparked a reaction from the Minister’s camp.
The two minute-forty-our seconds video,which has since gone viral, showed some persons, described by the narrator, a male voice, as FCTA workers amid a rowdy atmosphere on a road.
People&Politics, a keen follower of developments in FCTA, and which is familiar with the location, notes that the video was shot just outside the FCTA Minister’s gate, the main entry into FCTA corporate headquarters located on 1 Kapital Road, Area 11, Garki, Abuja.
Clearly discernible are the outer walls of the headquarters premises close to the road which leads up to the Southern Parkway intersection.
The video shows a scene of some men and women, described as FCTA workers, hurrying, some running, along the road and on the pedestrian walkway past the FCTA staff entry/exit gate, and on towards the premises’ second major gate close to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.
The Ministry and FCTA headquarters share same land space and are reachable from outside through the FCT Minister’s gate, especially as the second gate has long been reserved mainly for exit movement for some employees of the Ministry.
Amid a boisterous atmosphere, the narrator in the video is heard mocking Wike, insisting that the Minister was fleeing from FCTA workers by slipping through the second gate, against his usual routine.
Among other words uttered, the narrator said: “Wike is on the run! Gentlemen, Wike is on the run! Staff are following him, Wike is on the run! The Honorable Minister is on the run!”
Contacted by People&Politics today for his comments, Senior Special Assistant, Public Communications and Social Media to FCT Minister, Mr Lere Olayinka, disputed the narrative that his boss was running scared from the workers.
He explained that the Minister was in his (Wike’s) office today working for about three hours before leaving.
On why the Minister did not use his usual main gate, Mr Olayinka said the Minister has a right to use any of the two gates at anytime, insisting that it was the Minister’s right.
Olayinka queried the workers and sought to know why they were “following” the Minister.
“Why are they following the Minister? Why? You should have asked them.
“Are they following him with what? Is it with cutlasses or so, to harm him? Why are they following him?”, he asked.
Recall that the Minister and FCTA, as first and second Claimants, had last week dragged the workers’ leaders before the National Industrial Court (NIC) seeking, among others, an order to compel the workers to call off the indefinite strike and return to work.
Ruling is expected to be delivered tomorrow on an application by the Claimants’ counsel, James Onoja SAN seeking to restrain the workers from continuing with the strike.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Wike.
