Popular social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), led a protest outside the Abuja residence of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Monday.
The protest was sparked by Wike’s recent statement that his office would stop releasing 10 percent of the statutory funds meant for local area councils.
According to Wike, the decision came because the councils had failed to start paying the new minimum wage to primary school teachers. The wage disagreement has already caused a strike that has kept many schoolchildren out of their classrooms for weeks.
VDM, who is known for speaking out on social and political issues, arrived at Wike’s residence with a group of young school children wearing their uniforms.
In a symbolic move, he set up an informal class session right in front of the gate. He took the role of a teacher, guiding the pupils through the alphabet in a way that caught the attention of many onlookers and social media users.
“S for Suegbe, T for Tinubu, W for Wike,” he said, as the children followed his lead and repeated the letters out loud.
VeryDarkMan noted that since the children have been denied access to proper learning in their schools due to the strike, they would now treat the minister’s front gate as their new classroom. He pointed out that the protest was not just about politics but about the future of the children who are being left behind in their education.
He also said that leadership should care about the needs of the most vulnerable, including young learners. “These children should not suffer because adults cannot solve their issues,” he added.
