The Adara Development Association (ADA), Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State has rejected the third class chiefdoms being created to replace the scrapped first-class Adara Chiefdom.
The association stated, “An overwhelming majority of the sons and daughters of Adara nation do not accept, will not support, participate in, recognize, respect or submit in any way to the two third-class chiefdoms being created to replace the unjustifiably scrapped first-class Adara Chiefdom.”
DAILY POST recalls that late Mr Maiwada Raphael Galadima, Monarch of Adara, a first-class chief, was kidnapped and later found killed in October 2018 on his way to his palace from Kaduna.
A joint statement issued by the association’s National President and National Secretary, Awemi Dio Maisamari and Barr. Luka G. Waziri, explained that after exhaustive deliberations on attempts to impose third-class chiefdoms on their people in place of the scrapped first-class chiefdom, the Kaduna government ignored all official and unofficial inputs and overtures for proper engagement with legitimate community leaders of Adara nation on the matter thereby denying their people the inalienable right to participate in their own governance.
The statement noted that the Adara community stakeholders would continue to explore all avenues for the peaceful and amicable resolution of its numerous grievances against the Kaduna State Government, adding that the Adara community will also take further steps to seek legal redress and justice at any and all levels so as to secure the legitimate interests, rights, dignity and future of its people as full citizens of a Federal Republic of Nigeria.
According to the statement, the few Adara sons and daughters who may accept, support and participate in the new chiefdoms are doing so as individuals, are on their own and are acting contrary and against the best wishes, advice and long term interests of Adara nation, stressing that any person or persons who do so are hereby declared as traitors and saboteurs of Adara nation.
It explained that the saboteurs and traitors of Adara nation shall not be entitled, nor accorded any obedience, respect, honour, privilege, role, responsibility or cooperation by Adara nation if appointed to any position in any of the two third-class Chiefdoms, saying that any other persons or groups who accept or support or participate in the new Chiefdoms shall not be granted any obedience, respect, honour, privilege, role, responsibility or cooperation by Adara nation.
As the second-largest ethnic nationality in Kaduna State, the association opined that it has nothing to show for it except their scrapped first-class Chiefdom, stressing that they see the efforts by the present administration of Kaduna State to orchestrate the relegation, marginalization and domination of Adara nation in their only ancestral homeland on earth as the greatest humiliation ever. Consequently, Adara nation has firmly resolved to resist this injustice by all constitutional, legal and civil means.
According to the statement, the legislative process which produced the law and the law itself are fundamentally inconsistent with the letters and spirit of several sections of the Nigerian constitution in particular, the principles of democracy, federalism and extant policies of the Kaduna State government in general.
It said the new law is generally incompatible with natural justice, ill-conceived, ill-intentioned, biased and discriminatory, particularly against the Adara nation.
It added that the law would permanently undermine and suppress the identity, culture and other legitimate socio-economic rights and interests of the Adara nation within the Nigerian federation.
The statement believed that the implementation of the law poses a threat to cultural diversity, equal rights, peaceful coexistence, social harmony and the security of lives and properties in the Adara community in particular and Kaduna as a whole.
It stated that to contemplate implementing such a policy in the current disastrous and still volatile environment is most insensitive and unfair.
The association appreciated the understanding, sympathy, support and solidarity of some individuals and communities who have spoken or shown their concerns on this matter in various ways, stressing that their goodwill to Adara nation in a very trying period like this would forever be remembered and adequately appreciated in future.
The association said it is certain that their grievances are genuine and the cause is just and are therefore comforted by the assurance and confidence that historically, a just cause backed by the good and insuppressible conscience of mankind always triumphs at the end.