By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON, has on Friday, toured some damaged facilities to assess the level of destruction caused by the violent protest in Gombe metropolis.
During the visit, Governor Inuwa Yahaya expressed concern over the extensive damage inflicted on both public and private properties while assuring the people of the government’s commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the state.
“I have gone round to personally assess the extensive damage caused by the violent protest. From what I have seen, the destruction is enormous. Not just public facilities, businesses were also affected”, the Governor lamented.
He said it’s of utmost importance to preserve peace in Gombe, a state known for its stability.
“Gombe is known for its peace, and we must preserve it. We cannot allow actions that threaten our stability. We have no state other than Gombe. We understand that there are challenges and hardships in the land, but we must not resort to violence and destruction of our state to express our feelings or concerns”, the Governor said.
“Let me make it clear: we are not against peaceful protest. We know that democracy and our laws grant the right to express oneself, but yesterday’s event contradicted democratic principles and violated the law.
“We are ready to support any peaceful demonstration, and the police are ready to give protesters the maximum protection to exercise their constitutional rights once they follow the laid down rules. What we cannot allow, let me re-emphasize, is the breakdown of law and order”, the Governor added.