The Adara Development Association (ADA), an umbrella body for the Adara ethnic nationality in Kajuru and Kachia Local Government Areas of Kaduna, has kicked against an executive bill by the Kaduna State Government, seeking to reform traditional institutions in the state.
According to the Kaduna state governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the executive bill titled, “A bill for a law for the traditional institution in Kaduna State, 2021”, will “restore the fading glory of traditional institutions in the state and to make them serve the people better”.
However, the President of the ADA, Mr. Dio Maisamari, has picked holes in the draft of the bill circulated to traditional institutions for their inputs, saying, if it becomes law, it will subordinate, suppressed , weaken and make non-Muslim traditional rulers inferior.
Speaking in a telephone interview with AmazingTimes on Saturday in Kaduna, said the proposed bill aims at further “intensifying the unjust and unpopular restructuring” of the traditional institution which the governor started in 2017.
He accused El-Rufai of a hidden agenda against the Adara nation.
El-Rufai, had in 2017, scrapped the Adara Chiefdom after which he created two traditional institutions.
The governor created an emirate for the minority Hausa Fulani “settlers” in Kajuru while Kachia Chiefdom was created for the indigenous Adara who are the predominant group in both Kachia and Kajuru LGAs.
Aggrieved by the “glaring injustice”, over the scrapping and creation of new traditional institutions, the ADA had approached the state High court to over the issue which is yet to be determined.
Maisamari maintained that the proposed bill is targeted at the traditional institutions in the Southern part of Kaduna state.
“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 ADA claimed”, he said.
He argued further that going by the provisions of the proposed bill, “appointment of traditional rulers will virtually be taken over by politicians as tradition, customs and due processes are not recognized and respected in the bill”.
He said, “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.
“We oppose the new law because it has finally revealed Governor el-rufai’s special hidden agenda against Adara nation and Adara land.
“The proposed law will legalises the unjust scrapping of our first Class Traditional institution, legalise the balkanization of our community, legalise 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 Kaduna state.
“It will also facilitate the implanting of other peoples to rule over the Adara nation and take over Adara land.”
Maisamari said, “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.”
He called on the Kaduna state government to widen consultation with all relevant stakeholders in the state with a view to seeking for acceptable reforms in the traditional institutions in the state and not through an executive bill which seek to serve the interest of only one section of the state.
