The Atyap Community Development Association, ACDA, of Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State has described the purported proscription of the ACDA by former Governor Nasir El-Rufai as not only illegal but immoral and oppressive.
Former Governor Nasir El-Rufai had declared the ACDA as an unlawful society.
But Dr Samuel Achie, National President, ACDA, in a statement said, “It is on record that the ACDA, especially during the tenure of Mall. Nasir El-Rufai, has never engaged in any unlawful activity 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.”
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 Mall. 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, adding that ACDA has branches in all the States and the Federal Capital Territory in Nigeria and the diaspora.
He explained that the ACDA’s unwavering stand that the killers of their people who have found safe haven among the Hausa in Zangon Kataf town must be fished out and also her vehemence opposition to the former Governor’s attempt to conscript Atyap ancestral land with a fiat and hand over same to the Hausa “accounted for the desperate last action of the Governor against our people.”
The ACDA National President stated that their search so far had shown that former 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 illegal, pointing out that ACDA had not been served with any notice or instrument proscribing it.
“Our information of the purported proscription was obtained from 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 remained resolute in their resolve to protect their land and people “from anybody who thinks they can come from nowhere and take their land.”
He explained, “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 urged the peace loving people in Zangon Kataf town to embrace dialogue and eschew violence.”
The ACDA congratulated His Excellency, Senator Uba Sani, on taking over the mantle of leadership in the State and hope he will do the needful to put an end to the incessant killings and crises in Atyap land and Southern Kaduna
