By; AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna
The Atyap Community Development Association (ACDA) of Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State has described the purported proscription of ACDA by former Governor Nasir el-Rufai as not only illegal, but immoral and oppressive.
Former Governor Nasir el-Rufai had declared the Atyap Community Development Association (ACDA) as an unlawful society.
In a statement issued by Muyiwa Adekeye, Special Adviser on Media and Communication, issued on Sunday, said the state government, in a proscription order, declared that the Atyap Community Development Association has constituted itself into a society that is inimical to the peace of the state and has been covertly involved in acts capable of endangering the peace, tranquility, harmonious coexistence, and good governance of Kaduna state.
Dr. Samuel Achie, National President, Atyap Community Development Association (ACDA), in a statement, said, “It is on record that the ACDA, especially during the tenure of Malam Nasir el-Rufai, never engaged in any unlawful activities even in the face of un-necessary provocation and attacks nor received any notice or complain 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.”
He added, “All these make the purported proscription not only illegal but immoral and oppressive which is in tune with the hostile and vindictive posture of Malam Nasir el-Rufai to the Atyap ethnic nationality throughout his tenure as Governor of Kaduna State.”
He explained that 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, stressing that the name was later changed to Atyap Community Development Association and registered on 27th January, 2010 with registration: *CAC/11/No 36929*, respectively as ACDA has branches in all the states and the Federal Capital Territory in Nigeria and the diaspora.
He stated that it may be recalled that on May 24, 2023, ACDA delivered a letter to the former governor in response to proceedings of a meeting held with him on May 11, 2023 in Government House, Kaduna, adding that at that meeting, Malam Nasir el-Rufai made uncomplimentary, uncivil and ungentlemanly remarks against some prominent and respected Atyap leaders and statesmen.
He explained that the ACDA unwavering stand that the killers of their people who have found safe haven among the Hausa in Zango Kataf town must be fished out and also its 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 their people.
The ACDA National President stated that their search so far has shown that former Governor el-Rufai never observed or followed due process in his desperate attempt to proscribe the ACDA in Kaduna State, which makes the purported proscription manifestly illegal, pointing out that 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, 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,” he stressed.
He assured that the leadership of the ACDA shall take all lawful and legal steps to protect their rights, saying that as members, they should remain calm and law abiding as they remain resolute in their resolve to protect their land and people from anybody who thinks they can come from no where and take their land.
He explained, “To our Hausa Brothers in Zango 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 Zango Kataf town to embrace dialogue and eschew violence.”
He enjoined the Hausa community of Zangon Kataf town to join the peace-loving Atyap to remove all the criminals in their midst in order to return to the peace that they enjoyed before the violent groups with the complicity of the former government set out to destroy the peace they have all worked so hard to build and sustain.
The ACDA congratulated His Excellency, Senator Uba Sani, on taking over the mantle of leadership in the state and expressed hope that he will do the needful to put an end to the incessant killings and crises in Atyap land and Southern Kaduna and assured him of the prayers and support of the Atyap as he steers the ship of their state to greatness.
He congratulated their people for sailing through eight years of dictatorship, tribalism, religious bigotry and sheer hatred of their people by the immediate past government of the state, saying that they should continue to pray and watch as the struggle for their freedom and emancipation seems to just be starting.
