Kebbi State Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu has appealed to people of the state to always use peaceful means in settling all forms of disputes.
Bagudu spoke on Friday while addressing commercial motorcyclists (Kabu-Kabu Operators) protesting what they called unjust manhandling of one of their members by Road Safety officials who blocked the said member for violating traffic regulations during which he fell off his motorcycle and sustained minor injuries.
The Chief Press Secretary, Kebbi Government House, Abubakar Mu’azu Dakingari, stated this in a statement made available to TheIdeal at the weekend.
The Kebbi Governor cautioned them that Kebbi was one of very few states where motorcyclists were still allowed in the country.
He advised them to adopt peaceful means in presenting their grievances to the authorities so that amicable resolutions could be reached.
He acknowledged that his administration had always considered the Kabu-Kabu Union as its partner in progress, a position he intends to uphold.
The governor admonished the motorcyclists that rather than wrecking havoc for minor issues, they should be vigilant in availing themselves with the various self-reliance and support intervention programmes provided by President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
A case in point of such programmes, according to him, was the disbursement of 30,000 to some of their individual members.
He added that members of the union have benefited from the gesture as attested to by the members themselves.
Governor Bagudu also advised the members of the motorcyclists union to always follow proper constitutional channels in litigating their grievances, such as reporting to the police rather than taking the law into their hands.
He also stated that no government would tolerate such illegal activities and assured them of his open door policy to them and all citizens of the state.
Also addressing the gathering, the former Adviser to the Governor on Power, Alh. Yusuf Haruna Rasheed acknowledged the social role in the development of the state played by the Kabu-Kabu membership and gave them the assurance that in the future when such incidents occur, he would intervene appropriately by mediating between the membership and the authorities.
Briefing the Governor on the incident earlier, the State and Birnin Kebbi Local Government Chairmen of the Union respectively, Malam Nafi’u Zaki and Malam Faruk Shehu Usman, informed the governor that one of their members was hit by the Road Safety vehicle while attempting to stop him from violating a traffic rule when he fell into a ditch and sustained some injuries.
The two Chairmen, expressed gratitude and appreciation with what they described as the governor’s warm and dignified reception at the Government House, as well the financial support he extended them in order to foster the activities of their Union.
They also assured the governor that they would heed all his advices and would also give his administration all the necessary support expected of their union.
