Adara People Reject el-Rufai’s Planned ‘Reforms’ of Traditional Institutions

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BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – The Adara Development Association (ADA), the second largest ethnic nationality in Kaduna State, with a population of one million and occupying Kachia and Kajuru Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Southern part of the State, has accused Governor Nasir El-Rufai of harbouring a hidden agenda against the Adara nation and majority Christian domains of Kaduna state under the guise of reforms in traditional institutions in the state.

The people therefore vehemently rejected the Governor El-Rufai’s proposed legislation seeking to make drastic changes in the traditional institutions in the state.

A statement by the National President of Adara Development Association, Mr. Dio Awemi Maisamari, noted that the Kaduna State Government circulated a draft bill with a covering letter dated 19th March, 2021 signed by the Commissioner of Local Government Affairs marked ‘top secret.’

The statement further states; “The bill is titled ‘A bill  for a law for the traditional institution in Kaduna State, 2021. The state government claims that the bill is intended to ‘restore the fading glory of traditional institutions’ and to make them serve the people better,” the ADA said.

The Adara people on the platform of Adara Development Association declared that they are totally opposed to the self-serving proposed legislation and therefore reject the law for the reasons listed below;

“It is a continuation and intensification of the unjust and unpopular restructuring of traditional institutions which started in 2017 and targeted traditional institutions in Southern Kaduna.

“Going by previous experience, government will not listen to the opinions and wishes of non-Muslim communities in this process as it did in the past.

“We cannot find any provisions in the law that will restore the glory of traditional institutions or make them serve the people better. Rather, there are sections that will alienate, cage and stifle them. They will be exposed to excessive politicization, manipulation and intimidation.

“The appointment of traditional rulers will virtually be taken over by politicians as customary due processes are not recognized and respected in the bill,” the ADA observed.

It continued; “The law is seeking to enforce uniformity in Muslim and non-Muslim traditional institutions which are fundamentally different. The law will also subordinate, suppress and relegate non-Muslim traditional rulers to a permanent weak and inferior position.

“Finally, we oppose the new law because it has finally revealed Governor el-rufai’s special hidden agenda against Adara nation and Adara land. The new law will legalize the unjust scrapping of our 1st Class Traditional Institution, legalize the balkanization of our community, legalize the suppression of our identity, history, culture and religion and also legalize the degrading, humiliation and marginalization of Adara being the second largest nationality in the state.

“Furthermore, it will facilitate the implanting of other peoples to rule over Adara people and take over Adara land.

“In view of the above, we are totally opposed to the draft bill as it will heighten social injustice, communal frictions, social disharmony retarded development. We also fear that present democratic structures will be compromised to rubber stamp the new law,” the ADA stressed.

The ADA then called on the Kaduna state government to widen consultation with all relevant stakeholders in the state with the view of seeking for acceptable reforms in the traditional institutions in the state and not via an executive bill which would only serve the interest of only one section of the state.

The ADA and el-Rufai have been at loggerhead for years now.

The ADA noted that since the paramount ruler of Adara Land, the Agom Adara, Dr. Maiwada Galadima, was ambushed in October, 2018 on the Kaduna-Kachia expressway, abducted and later murdered after a ransom was paid for his release, the El-Rufai-led government quickly moved and abolished the Adara Traditional Council and attempted to create a Kajuru Emirate even when the Muslim population make less than 5% of the Kajuru Local Government Area.

In December, 2018, the ADA addressed a press conference and rejected the new developments. The ADA also insisted that Kaduna State government could not be absolved from complicity in the murder of their royal father, an allegation that Kaduna State government refuted.

In 2019,  the Wazirin Adara, Engr. Bawa Magaji who the Adara officially recognised as the acting traditional leader of Adara nation, the President of ADA, Mr Awemi Dio Maisamari and seven other respectable leaders of Adara land were arrested and detained in Kaduna Prison for 120 days. Police investigation later cleared them against allegations of any wrongdoing.

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