Peaceful Protest Rocks Tafawa Balewa Town Over Baba Gonto Memorial
- Count us out – ZAYODA youths declare
BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – The controversy trailing the 21st memorial anniversary of late leader and crusader of the Sayawa nation, Baba Peter has heightened barely three days to the event slated for Friday, December 31, 2021.
Amid the confusion, a leading association in the area, Zaar Youth Development Association (ZAYODA) has distanced itself from the programme.
Citing worrying insecurity, the group warned that there could be a breach of peace in the area if the commemorative event is allowed to hold as planned.
Accordingly, members of ZAYODA on Tuesday evening staged peaceful protests around Tafawa Balewa town distancing themselves from the programme.
Trooping out in their hundreds, the ZAYODA members alleged that the security threat envisaged may lead to lost of lives and property in the area if urgent measures are not taken by the relevant authorities.
Addressing a press conference in Tafawa Balewa town shortly after their peaceful protest march, the National Youth Leader of ZAYODA, Comrade Ga’Allah Daniel alleged that organizers of the event deliberately excluded some prominent sons and daughters of Zaar land, a development that is already breeding hatred and disunity among the people who hitherto related and coexisted as one big family.
Comrade Daniel further said going by reactions from different quarters in the social media either in support or against the scheduled anniversary, there is heightened possibility that holding the event as planned could lead to security breach in the area.
“We reiterate with a loud voice that we reject in totality the event as we foresee a great crises and disunity in the land from the programme based on desperation by the organizers”, the youth leader warned.
Maintaining that the organizers should be held responsible if anything goes wrong and the area witnesses any breach of its peace in the course of holding the event, Comrade Daniel said they should be made to sign an undertaking with the security agencies as it is the case with the Lepm Zaar annual festival.
The ZAYODA top shot said no one is opposed to holding such a historic event for the late Sage considering his status and immense contributions to the unity of Zaar people during his life time.
He recalled that in their last statement on December 25, 2021, the public was well informed that ZAYODA held an emergency meeting on December 10, 2021 to discuss about the proposed Late Baba Peter Gonto’s 21st memorial programme.
Comrade Daniel further said the emergency meeting agreed that since the event was not organized by either ZDA or Council of Gung Zaar select, it clearly indicates the youth body has no role to play because it is purely a family business.
He said in the process, “We made reference to a clean and unbiased memorial programme held by the children of late Ayuba Sarki at Zainab Sumi center, Tafawa Balewa town. But to our great dismay we saw an invitation card circulating in the name of the family of Baba Peter Gonto in conjunction with our mother body ZDA national”.
Also speaking at the media session, women leader of Zaar community, Mama Rahatu vowed that as women in the area, they will not allow such exclusion to happen, saying; “They didn’t include those that are supposed to be in the fore front of honouring this man, Baba Peter Gonto.
“Therefore, we reject any arrangements towards this planned ceremony, because we need peace in our community, we don’t want division and any attempt to cause confusion and disunity among us, all ZAYODA women in Tafawa Balewa will not accept”.
