by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
National President of Atyap Community Development Association (ACDA) in Abuja, Samuel Achie, has asserted that, the purported proscription of the Association on Sunday, 28th May, 2023, by the immediate past Kaduna State Governor, Mal. Nasir El-Rufai, is illegal.
The National President made the assertion in a statement issued, personally signed and made available to journalists in Kaduna on Tuesday in the state.
“All these make the purported proscription not only illegal but immoral and oppressive, which is in tune with the hostile and vindictive posture of Mal. Nasir El-Rufai to the Atyap ethnic nationality throughout his tenure as Governor of Kaduna State.
“It may be recalled that on 24th May, 2023, ACDA delivered a letter to the former Governor in response to proceedings of a meeting held with him on 11th May, 2023, in Government House, Kaduna.
“At that meeting, Malam Nasir El-Rufai made uncomplimentary, uncivil and ungentlemanly remarks against some prominent and respected Atyap leaders and statesmen. A copy of the ACDA letter is attached to this Press Release so that the Nigerian public and the world could figure the reason for the purported proscription of our Association in Kaduna State (not seen).
“The ACDA unwavering stand that the killers of our people, who have found safe haven among the Hausa in Zangon Kataf Town, must be fished out and also her vehement opposition to the former Governor’s attempt to conscript Atyap ancestral land with a fiat and hand over same to the Hausa, which are against the former Governor’s interest, accounted for the desperate last action of the governor against our people.
“Our search so far has shown that outgone Governor El-Rufai never observed or followed due process in his desperate attempt to proscribe the ACDA in Kaduna State, which made the purported proscription manifestly illegality.
“ACDA has not been served with any notice or instrument proscribing it. Our information of the purported proscription was gotten from the social media. Members of the ACDA have the fundamental rights to fair hearing, association, to hold and propagate opinion, among others, as enshrined in the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.
“The leadership of the ACDA shall take all lawful and legal steps to protect these rights. Members should, therefore, remain calm and law abiding as we remain resolute in our resolve to protect our land and people from anybody, who thinks they can come from nowhere and take our land.
“To our Hausa Brothers in Zangon Kataf Town, we urge you to reject those agents provocateurs, based in Kaduna and Abuja, who are always trying to knock our heads while they remain safely behind their walled mansions in the cities.
“We have always engaged in dialogue in solving our challenges, until such divisive forces interfere to use force or government fiat to disrupt our peaceful relations. We urge the peace loving people in Zangon Kataf Town to embrace dialogue and eschew violence.
“The Hausa community of Zangon Kataf Town should join the peace-loving Atyap to remove all the criminals in their mist, in order to return to the peace that we had enjoyed before the violent groups with the complicity of the former government set out to destroy the peace we have all worked so hard to build and sustain.
“We congratulate His Excellency, Senator Uba Sani, on taking over the mantle of leadership in our State and hope he will do the needful to put an end to the incessant killings and crises in Atyapland and Southern Kaduna. We assure him of the prayers and support of the Atyap as he steers the ship of our State to greatness,” it stated.
“ACDA, however, congratulated its people for sailing through eight years of dictatorship, tribalism, religious bigotry and sheer hatred of our people by the immediate past government of the State. Let us continue to pray and watch as the struggle for our freedom and emancipation seems to just be starting. We will not give up, as surely we shall celebrate our freedom one day.”
Earlier, the community noted that, “The news of a purported proscription of the ACDA in Kaduna State by Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai came to us with rude shock, but not surprising, through a press release issued on Sunday 28th May, 2023, by Mr. Muyiwa Adekeye, his erstwhile Press Secretary, which was equally purportedly to have taken effect on 24th May, 2023.
“The ACDA was initially registered as a Corporate Trustee with the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja, in the name of ‘Kataf Youth Development Association,’ on 4th October, 1989, with Registration *No. 5562.*
“The name was later changed to Atyap Community Development Association and registered on 27th January, 2010, with Registration: *CAC/11/No 36929*, respectively. ACDA has branches in all the States and the Federal Capital Territory in Nigeria and the Diaspora.
“It is on record that the ACDA, especially during the tenure of Mal. Nasir El-Rufai, has never engaged in any unlawful activities even in the face of unnecessary provocation and attacks, nor received any notice or complaint of any unlawful activities from the former Kaduna State Government or any quarters whatsoever that would have warranted any caution, not to talk of proscription.
