First Lady’s pet project shuts down Abuja central area

The clearing of vehicles from every spot close to the Eagle Square was said to have commenced Thursday evening and by early Friday morning all access points to the venue of the event was closed to traffic.   Security officials which included policemen, SSS operatives, and civil defence staff were manning major entry points and […]

The clearing of vehicles from every spot close to the Eagle Square was said to have commenced Thursday evening and by early Friday morning all access points to the venue of the event was closed to traffic.

 

Security officials which included policemen, SSS operatives, and civil defence staff were manning major entry points and re-directing traffic, only allowing government official cars and buses loaded with women from the hinterland of Abuja as well as different states.

Some of the colourfully dressed ladies who came on their own had to trek several meters to get to the venue before they were frisked and stripped of any metal object – mostly compact mirrors – by security officials before being allowed into the crowded Eagle Square.

At the Federal Secretariat Complex and the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, most of the offices remained empty as most civil servants had returned to their homes due to the huge traffic snarl especially along the Nyanya-AYA axis.

A staff of the Federal Ministry of Education, Callistus Nwokolo, said government should have declared yesterday a public holiday as this would have greatly reduced the suffering of workers. “Abuja’s central area is famous for its notorious and chaotic traffic hold ups every Friday, I don’t understand how the authorities could have failed to predict this chaos,” he said. As early as 9.30am the First Lady and her entourage including the FCT Minister and his wife had arrived the Square and were treated to a march-past by several women groups from various associations and organisations.

A special presentation and Calisthenics was also made by FCT school children, before the First Lady read her address saying Women for Change Initiative (W4CI) is aimed at mapping out better ways of uplifting the welfare of Nigerian women.

By noon amidst the fan fare, several vehicles started trooping into the surrounding car park loaded with wrapped up snacks in Ghana-must-go bags. The hungry and thirsty women could not wait for the orderly distribution of the items as they threw caution to the wind and scrambled for the food.

Some security operatives at the event said after the October 1st bombing, nothing is left to chance whenever such an event is to hold in the FCT.