Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, on Tuesday decried decades of maladministration in Nigeria blaming it as cause of incessant protests.
Yahaya made this disclosure when he received coalition of Gombe youths and Gombe students groups on a solidarity visit to the Gombe State Government House against the planned nationwide strike.
The governor said, “I have heard the demands and protest that you have brought on behalf of the youths. No leader in his senses will encourage violence to prevail in the society. If violence is allowed it means there will be no peace and when there is no peace you can’t go to school and what will follow is the universities will be closed, colleges, secondary and primary schools will you allow that to happen?”
Lamenting the possible consequences of violent protest, Yahaya added, “If violence comes and takes place it will mean all our markets will have to close and there will be disruption will you allow that to happen?”
Blaming the root cause of the protest to decades of maladministration Yahaya added, “The leadership under my humble self is ready to give you protection, support you and we have been doing that that is what President Ahmed Bola Tinubu is doing at the Federal Government.
“You see there are issues what is happening in Nigeria is about maladministration, and miscalculations that took place over the past decades and it’s we as leaders that will now correct all the mistakes and take this country forward to the next level that is the target, that is why President Ahmed Tinubu introduced students’ loan scheme, it’s support for students and parents and that is why despite calls in Gombe State for students fees to be increased I said no. We didn’t increase because we want you to get free, quality education to the best our ability.”
He urged those insisting on protest to get necessary approvals, adding “We say no to protests, demonstrations, we say no to the trouble people are trying to cause in the country despite the economic hardship that will take Nigeria to prosperity. I urge you to remain calm and spread the message of no violence tell anyone who wants to go the other way that the Inspector-General of Police who has been tasked to take responsibility for our security of both lives and property has come out to say that anyone that wants to demonstrate has a right but must follow the peaceful way and the peaceful way is to register with the Commissioner of Police who is the representative of the IG. If you want to protest go and register with the police to give you the protection you need.”
Speaking earlier, National President of Gombe State Students Association Alamin Abubakar, lauded the state governor for clearing outstanding scholarships, noting that his members will not be part of the protest.
He said, “We appreciate the efforts of the governor and the Federal Government in the development of the youths. We have witnessed tremendous support. We thank the governor for clearing outstanding scholarship arrears. We call for dialogue not protest.”
