Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Barely 28 years after Zango Kataf killings in Southern Kaduna, community leaders in the area have disagreed with the State governor, Nasir El-Rufai over new committee for the white paper on the crisis.
Communal crisis broke out in Zango Kataf in 1992 leading to the killing of many residents and destruction of several property during the transition to civilian rule under the former military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB).
While the State government had a fortnight ago issued a statement through the Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Mr Muyiwa Adekeye, saying that the State Government has set up a committee to draft a White Paper on the two reports of the Justice Rahila Cudjoe Commission of Inquiry into the Zangon-Kataf riots of February and May 1992, the Zango Kataf leaders under the Atyap Community Development Association on Thursday said there was no need to set up another committee for the white paper since the previous white paper had been implemented by previous State government.
Addressing a press conference, the Secretary of the Atyap association, queried, “Why are they writing a White Paper on the Cudjoe commission report after all its recommendations had been implemented by previous administrations? Our fears are reinforced by the fact that Muyiwa Adekeye’s June 30, 2020 statement claims that there was no White Paper on the Usman Muazu Report, when in fact the Kaduna State Government had on July 4, 2000 publicly announced that it would faithfully implement the decisions in the Kaduna State Government White Paper on the AVM Usman Muazu Report. Why then are they writing another White Paper 25 years after the original White Paper was written?
“It is manifestly clear that the El-Rufai Government of Kaduna State has no justifiable reason to set up another White Paper Drafting Committee when;
The recommendations of the Justice Rahila Cudjoe Commission have been fully implemented.
“The Government of Kaduna State had already produced a White Paper from the AVM Muazu Reconciliation Committee Report, which past Governments of Kaduna State have been implementing since 1995.
“The only outstanding issues on this White Paper are: The actualisation of the Buffer Zone, the actualisation of the Irrigation Project.
“The actualisation of the Atak Jei Residential Layout which was produced and approved on 12th April 2010 by the former Governor of Kaduna State, Namadi Sambo, which will foster integration in the Community as envisaged by the AVM Usman Muazu Committee.”
However, Adekeye had lamented that, ‘’it is unacceptable that one of the factors identified by the Justice Cudjoe Commission as an immediate cause of the 1992 carnage in Zangon-Kataf is still a trigger for murder and unlawful conduct, 28 years after that tragedy, adding, “the White Paper drafting committee will also consider the 1995 report of the Zangon-Kataf Reconciliation Committee, chaired by Air Vice Marshall Usman Muazu.’’