CONAECDA 2016 Communique
CONFERENCE OF AUTOCHTHONOUS ETHNICNATIONALITIES
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATIONS
Temporary Office: No. 17 Kungfang Village,Miango Road, Jos, Plateau
State
Phone: 08036025872 E-Mail:
conaecda@gmail.com
COMMUNIQUÉ
OF THE third NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF AUTOCHTHONOUS ETHNIC COMMUNITIES
DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATIONS (CANAECDA),
HELD
AT YELWA CLUB BUKURU, JOS, ON WEDNESDAY
26TH TO FRIDAY 29TH
OCTOBER 2016
Preamble:
The Conference of
Autochthonous Ethnic Nationalities Community Development Associations
(CONAECDA) held its third Annual Conference at the Yelwa Club, Bukuru, Jos,
from the 26th to 29th October, 2016. The Conference was
attended by several Community Development Association Leaders (CDA) leaders
from the Northern states of Nigeria.
The Conference was declared
open by the Chairman of the occasion, Hon. Frank Kure of, Gombe State.
The Host Royal Father in the
person of His Majesty Da Jacob Gyang Buba the Bong Gwom Jos and Chairman
Plateau State Council of Chiefs was represented by his Royal Highness the Agwom
Izere, Rev. Dr. Isaac Wakili who delivered a powerful Solidarity Message and promised
to ensure that a conference of the minority traditional rulers holds very soon.
The theme of the Conference
was Sustainable Development Goals as Strategy for Autochthonous communities
Development. The key note address was presented by Dr. John Jinung.
The Conference President in
the Person of Hon. Comrade Paul Bassi, the National President of the Bura
Community Development Association, Borno State having concluded his maximum two
years tenure was replaced by Mr. Ericson Fom the President of the Berom
Education And Cultural Organization ( BECO) of Plateau and Kaduna State. He was
unanimously elected by the National council of CONAECDA which met on Friday 28th
October 2016 and was endorsed by the Conference on the same day.
The Conference observed a minute
of silence in Honour of Thousands of Nigerians who died as a result of violent
conflicts all over the Nation. It also paid tribute to our illustrious sons and
Royal Fathers who died in the year. These include:
1.
His Majesty the Tor Tiv.Dr. Alfred Torkula
2.
His Highness the Saf-Ron Kulere Lazarus Agai
who was assassinated in his own land.
3.
Elder statesman Mallam Jibrin A. Amfani
May their Soul rest in Peace
with their maker.
The Secretariat presented
the 2015-2016 Report which was adopted.
The Conference received and
critically analysed reports and presentations from representatives of the Autochthonous
ethnic communities, on key issues facing their communities. There were presentations
and deliberations covering various areas on which recommendations and
resolutions were made.
1.
Conference observed that Community
Development Associations have not been carried along in Development work and in
governance as is done in all advanced democracies.
Conference therefore resolves that:
a. CONAECDA
hereby institute the Community Development Programmes to drive Community
Development work in all our Communities.
b. CONAECADA
call on all Government agencies involved in development to carry the
communities along by working with their Community Development Associations
(CDAs) and Community Development Committees (CDCs).
c. The
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be achieved with the active
participation of communities and their development agencies.
d. All
civil society organizations (CSOs) working in our communities should work with
the relevant Community Development Committees/ Associations in planning,
executing and evaluating CSO programmes and projects.
2.
CONAECDA reviewed the structural organization
of Community Development Associations and resolved that a structure that brings
together various stakeholders in the communities should be put in place to
ensure that the sense of community is restored and effective Community
Development institutions are put in place.
Conference resolved therefore:
a. To establish
the Grand Patrons and Patrons Council with membership derived from Royal
Fathers of Minority Origin.
b. To
assist all member CDAs to put in place effective structures for successful
Community Development.
3.
Conference observed the various agitations by
Nigerians for dismemberment of the country:
Conference resolved as follows:
a. While
we do not support the division of the country on any grounds (religious,
regional or ethnic) we are not as “Minority” Ethnic Nationalities going to be
subjected to any people and will not be a part of any New Nation.
b. Where we have no choice due to a breakdown of
the country, we will stand as a Nation of our own.
c. We
appeal to Governments at all levels to look at issues raised by aggrieved Nigerians
with the sincere aim of building a just and egalitarian society.
d. We
call on the Federal Government to look into calls for restructuring the
Federation with the aim of addressing structural problems in the Federation, States,
Local Governments, Economy, Political Structures, etc to ensure Equitable
Development, Justice and Civil liberties.
e. We
also call for the creation of Additional States and Local Government areas.
f. Government should recognise community rights
to resources on their lands and look at ways of involving communities in the
exploitation of such resources.
4.
Conference observes that the herdsmen have
decided to be a law to themselves and that some elements among them are not only
seeking to carry out violence against others but have descended to the point of
hiring evil persona and mercenaries from within and outside the country to
attack farmers.
Conference resolved therefore that:
a. Anyone
found to be collaborating with terrorists and engaging in criminal activities
against indigenous communities or peaceful herdsmen should be dealt with firmly
and legitimately.
b. The
communities under attack have the right to defend themselves against attackers
and should do so with courage and determination.
5.
It has also come to the notice of Conference that
the present Federal Government has made it a policy to use every available
means to take over our lands and give to the Fulani in the guise of creating Grazing
reserves or Ranches. Information available to us shows that the Federal Government
has instructed State Governors who are by law Trustees of Lands, to by all
means take over these lands and allocate them to Fulani Herdsmen.
We
have observed that large portions of land are been allocated to individuals
contrary to the later and spirit of the Land Use Act, and we suspect that such
allocations may be done to facilitate easy transfer to others.
Conference therefore resolves as
follows:
a. We
restate our position that our Lands are not for occupation or colonization.
b. The states
have no right under any law or morality to take land from an indigenous People
or community to give to another Peoples group.
c. The
only provision for government use of land under the Land Use Act is for the
good of the community and not to their detriment or for allocation to another.
6.
Conference observes with dismay that since
the creation of the FCT, no indigene of the FCT has ever been Minister of the
FCT. It has also observed the abuse of the rights of the indigenous Population
and listened to their presentation on ways to resolve issues affecting them.
Conference therefore resolves that;
a. CONAECDA
supports the FCT original inhabitants in their peaceful struggles for the
realization of their rights as indigenous peoples of the FCT.
b. The
Federal Government should look into all issues affecting the indigenous
population of the FCT with the aim to resolve them.
c. Government
should not wait until violence erupts in the FCT before it addresses the
peaceful demands of the Peoples of the FCT.
d. That
as indigenous peoples, the Natives of the FCT have inalienable rights over
their land, their identity, civic and political rights.
Therefore:
i.
The FCT should have the status of a state
with all state structures as contained in other states of the Federation.
ii. That
while the natives are being chased out of their land, new populations are
brought in, including the creation of grazing reserves for the exclusive use of
Fulani. This acts of apartheid most stop immediately.
7.
While we appreciate the level of success in
the fight against terrorism in the North East, there are still many areas in
the North East that are unsafe and extremely dangerous.
Conference resolved.
a. To thank
God for the release of 21 out of the over 200 Chibok School Girls. And to state
that there are thousands of other girls and women that have been in captivity
and some are returning to their families.
b. To
call on the Government and other partners to intensify effort towards securing
the release of all the Chibok school girls and many others still in captivity.
c. That
Government should address the real root of the insurgency, to wit, the total
destruction of our sense of community and its replacement by gross
individualistic politics, extreme greed, and religious extremism.
d. That
considering the revelations of the levels of corruption and inefficiency in delivering
interventions, in providing for victims of the insurgency and in rehabilitating
victims of terrorism; we reiterate our position that any intervention that does
not involve the communities through their Community Associations will not yield
the required result.
8.
Conference observed that
a. Where
mineral resources of high value have been found as in Godogodo and Gidan waya
in Kaduna State. And around the Lake Chad, Benue and Niger Valleys; there have
been systematic attacks on the local population, their displacement and the
occupation of the land by herdsmen.
b. Lands
belonging to Minority ethnic groups are under occupation by Fulani in States
like Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa and Adamawa.
c. Many
communities have reported conflict with Fulani who attack them claiming falsely
that the Lands where the Natives live and farm are designated grazing reserves.
d. Government
forces are turning a blind eye to atrocities committed against farmers and when
the farming communities rise up to defend themselves, they are arrested by the
same security forces.
Conference
therefore resolves that:
a. Communities
must resist forceful takeover of their lands by anyone to allocate to another
ethnic group.
b. Traditional
rulers of Minority ethnic communities must resist the effort to take over
minority lands and hand them over to Fulani.
c. Governments
at all levels should as matters of duty ensure that all Community lands occupied
by Fulani after displacing the natives are restored to the Native communities.
Conference was concluded
peacefully and a copy of the resolutions and communiqués is to be made
available to Government through the Department of State Services who were
invited to cover the event.
Signed
Mr.
Eric Fom
Conference
President
Zuwaqhu
Kalli Abungwon Bonat
National
Coordinator
Suleman
Dauda Sukukum
Secretary
General
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