Minister Cautions Against Hunger Protest, Labels Organizers as Faceless

The Minister of the Niger Delta Development, Abubakar Momoh, has urged the youth in the Niger Delta region to reject the planned nationwide protest set for August 1. Speaking in Bera Community, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, Momoh claimed that the protest promoters are anonymous individuals residing abroad, with the intention of destabilizing Nigeria.

Momoh issued this caution while accompanying the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, to commission water projects in the area. He emphasized the importance of avoiding the protest, drawing parallels to the destruction seen during the EndSARS protests in Lagos.

“Wherever I find myself, I have always sent that message,” Momoh stated. “Yesterday, even in the traditional rulers’ house and in the public field, I made it clear that August 1st is a suspected date for protests by faceless individuals. I don’t think anyone from this area, Ogoni, would participate.”

He continued, “The entire Niger Delta should steer clear of the protest because the organizers are not residents of Nigeria. Most of them live abroad and aim to destroy our country while enjoying their comfort zones. We should not allow our youth to be part of this.”

Momoh warned of the unpredictable outcomes of such protests, citing the extensive damage caused during the EndSARS protests in Lagos. He questioned the region’s ability to recover from similar unrest.

Reflecting on past predictions of Nigeria’s collapse by 2015, which did not come to pass, Momoh stressed that those who wish ill for the country have been proven wrong. “Has Nigeria not survived? A lot of progress has been made, and we should not give detractors an opportunity,” he said.

Momoh also called on the media to highlight the irrelevance and potential harm of the protest, urging traditional rulers, youth, and women not to be misled. He encouraged Ogoni youth to observe ongoing developments in their communities, particularly the efforts of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HIPREP).

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