From Tom Garba,Yola
A popular joint in Yola, Adamawa State called Parliament and situated at in Bekaji Estate was yesterday demolished, prompting hundreds of youths to take over major streets in the city demonstrating against what they described as selective demolition of beer joints in the state capital by the Governor Jibrilla Bindow-led government.
The protesting youth barricaded the entrance of the state’s Urban Development Board, the authorities that invaded Bekaji Estate yesterday and pulled down beer joints owned by non-indigenes.
What provoked the youth was the presence of a woman director from the ministry of environment who was accused of addressing those selling beer and those drinking as unbelievers. She also said that all non-indigenes must vacate the area.
The protest, which started from Bekaji Estate and spread to other parts of the state capital almost snowballed into bloody clash when the peaceful demonstration was joined by some civil servants who claimed that their backlog of entitlements have not been paid despite Adamawa receiving its bailout fund from the federal government.
The protesting youths accused the governor of habouring political grudges against the Bekaji residents for not voting for him in the 2015 general elections.
The youths, who carried various placards with inscription like “Bindow we are not regretting not voting for you. In the next election again Bekaji will not vote you”; “Bindow you are breeding war that will consumed you soon” insisted that for peace to reign all buildings constructed on illegal land in Bekaji must be pulled down.
They also attempted to pull down some structures in the estate within the area where the beer joints were located.
The arrival of six police trucks led by the Karewa Command Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr. A. Adama, save the bloodshed that would have occurred in the estate.
The DPO who directed the staff of Urban Development board to stop the destruction until the police conclude investigators lamented while the agency can embark on such exercise without informing the police.
The Acting General Manager of Urban Development Board, Engr. Tumba Tumba, while commenting on the development said that all the buildings build illegally will be destroy.
The youths in Bekaji through their leader, Mr. John Zakari, accused the governor of working against the people of Bekaji for not voting him during the 2015 general elections.
The youths vowed to defend their rights if the destroyed beer joints were not reconstructed by government.
Bekaji Estate is an owner occupied estate build in 1979. It is dominated by Christians working with the state government.
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