ZAYODA Youths Protest Against Baba Gonto 21st Memorial Program

By Shola Yemi, Bauchi

Controversy has continue to trail the 21st memorial anniversary of late leader and crusader of the Sayawa nation, Baba Peter Gonto barely three days to the scheduled program scheduled to hold on Friday, 31st December. 

Gatekeepers News  reports that a leading association in the area, Zaar Youth Development Association (ZAYODA) has dissociated itself from the program citing insecurity that may lead to a breach of peace in the area if the program goes on.

Members of the ZAYODA Tuesday evening, trooped out in their hundreds to stage a peaceful protests in Tafawa Balewa town against holding of the programme alleging that the security threat envisaged may lead to lost of lives and properties in the area.

While addressing a press conference in Tafawa Balewa town shortly after the peace protest, the National Youth Leader of Zaar Youth Development Association (ZAYODA), Comrade Galla Daniel alleged that the organizers of the event deliberately excluded some prominent sons and daughters of Zaar land which according to him, is already breeding hatred and disunity among the people who hitherto have related as one family.

Galla Daniel further explained that going by reactions from different quotas in the social media by pro and cons of the scheduled anniversary, there are possibility of breach of peace if the event was allowed to hold as planned.

He said that, “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 program based on the desperation of the organizers”.

The youth leader while stating that the organizers of the event be held responsible for any breach of peace in the area for anything that may occur in the cause of holding the event, said that the organizers should be made to sign an undertaking with the security agencies as it used to do during Lepm Zaar annual festival.

According to the ZAYODA, no one is opposed to holding such a historic event for the late Sage considering his immense role to the unity of Zaar people during his life time.

He recalled that in their last statement on the 25th December, 2021, he informed the world that ZAYODA as a body had an emergency meeting on the 10th of December 2021 to discuss about the proposed Late Baba Peter Gonto’s 21st memorial program.

Galla Daniel further explained that at the emergency meeting, agreement was reached that since the event was not been organized by either ZDA or Council of Gung Zaar select, it is an indication that the youth body has no role to play because it’s purely a family business.

According to him, “We made reference to a clean and unbiased memorial program 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, women leader of Zaar community, Mama Rahatu vowed that as women in the area, they will not allow such exclusion to happen.

She said that, “They didn’t include those that are supposed to be in the fore front of honouring this man, Baba Peter Gonto, so 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”.