Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, on Tuesday, warned youths in the state to shun politics of violence and bitterness.
Yahaya gave the warning when stakeholders from the Akko Local Government Area of the state, paid him a courtesy visit in Gombe.
He said the warning was imperative in view of the recent clashes between supporters of political parties during Sallah festivities in parts of the state.
The governor said that his administration would only support politics of peace, stressing that: “it is only in a peaceful atmosphere that development can come.
“We need to take drastic measures on this matter so that insecurity that is pervasive and is encroaching on us will not catch up with us.
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“The warning is to restore normalcy so we can move forward. I am not happy that some people are taking us backward, and without security there won’t be progress,” he said.
The governor warned individuals or groups using the youths to cause mayhem in the state, adding that: “No politician’s ambition is worth the life of anyone.
“I will not allow some people to take laws into their hands and kill people because those people will not send their relatives to be killed.
“I am not in support of any politics to kill and destroy property, I am for development and I stand for peace.”
Yahaya commended the people for their support, noting that with peace more development would reach the people.
Earlier in his remark, Habu Mu’azu, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, charged the people of Akko LGA to jettison politics of bitterness and embrace peace.
Mua’zu said: “we are all one so there is no need for us to be fighting one another because of politicians.”
The APC stalwart said that if the skirmishes in Akko were left unattended, it might replicated in other parts of the state.
He urged the governor to deal decisively with persons found to be engaged in acts capable of breaching the peace in the state.
Mu’azu appealed to the community leaders not to allow themselves to be used by politicians, and strive to maintain peaceful coexistence in their domains.
Also speaking, Mr Abubakar Barambu, Chairman, Akko Local Government Council, thanked the governor for the developmental projects executed in the area.
Barambu said the gesture would improve the social and economic wellbeing of the rural dwellers.
