…gov meets community leaders
By Paul Williams
Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai on Thursday held a closed-door meeting with community leaders and other critical stakeholders drawn from Atyap, Fulani, and Hausa communities, all of Atyap chiefdom of Zango Kataf over the killings in southern Kaduna area.
The meeting which is coming barely 17 days to the end of El-Rufai’s tenure as governor of Kaduna State is seen as part of the last push by the governor El-Rufai’s administration to find a lasting solution to the killings rocking the various communities in the southern part of the state over the years.
There have been issues of land disputes, kidnapping and killings over the years, with the community leaders pointing accusing fingers against one another, leading to the escalation of violence in recent times in Atyap chiefdom in the Zango Kataf Local Government Area of the state.
The military, Police and other intelligence agency alongside observers from international organisations were also part of the meeting.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the more than 4 hours meeting, some of the stakeholders noted that issues discussed were coming with mediate, mid-term and long-term solutions.
They agreed it was a fruitful meeting and prayed that they would have a breakthrough at the end of the day.
The Kaduna State Chairman, Meyitti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Haruna Usman, told journalists at the end of the meeting that the aggrieved parties who attended the meeting had agreed to settle their differences and live in peace.
He said only dialogue and not guns could resolve the intractable crises rocking the various communities in the southern part of the state.
He said, “We are so worried about the governor that is leaving us in a few days from now. We are praying that we can get somebody like him that is going to do what he’s doing now (peace initiative). But we have agreed that we are going to settle our differences.
“People are supposed to settle their differences through dialogue and not by a gun. Gun will never settle any differences among people but through dialogue.
“So, we are praying that what we discussed here today, will guide and help us to find a lasting solution to the crisis in our domains.
“We are so excited to make sure that peace returns to our respective communities. Next week, I will travel to Kafanchan to contact all my stakeholders so that they give the people of Kafanchan full support to able them to live in peace as usual.
“We discussed how the entire communities in Southern Kaduna can live in peace with each other because we realise that guns never solve crisis except dialogue that we have just entered into.”
Also, Chairman, Farmers/Herders Association, Salim Musa Umar noted that the Atyap, Hausa and Fulani Communities had agreed to resolve their differences, adding that they agreed to report back to the government in two weeks.
“Building peace is a process, it is not an event. The truth is that communities have been resilient enough. If there are issues there should be discussed as they move. It is not an event that be resolved in a day or two.
“The Atyap, Hausa and Fulani have agreed to resolve their differences. They have agreed to report back to the government within one week.
“And I am very optimistic if they are truthful, they will resolve their differences. Salim Musa. Chairman, farmers/herders association,” he added.
On his part, the Chairman, Southern Kaduna Community Development Association Forum, Bature Likoro, said the simple and most important message to the people of Southern Kaduna was for people to understand each other and live in peace.
“Let us all understand each other and live in peace,” he declared.