Atyap Chiefdom in Southern Kaduna gets new king

The ancient Chiefdom of the Atyap people in Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State went agog recently when the state Governor, Mallam Nasir  El-Rufai presented staff of office to the new paramount ruler of the Atyap People, His Highness, Dominic Gambo Yahaya, who is also known as Agwatyap.

The chiefdom, located in the Southern part of the state is reputed for producing people who have contributed immensely to the development of not only Kaduna State, but the nation at large.

Among such prominent sons and daughters of the Chiefdom are AVM Ishaya Aboi Shekarri (rtd), a one-time Military Governor of old Kano State and Minister of Special Duties, Gen Zamani Lekwot (rtd), former Military Governor of Rivers State; Mr Andrew Yakubu, former GMD, NNPC; Senator Danjuma Laah (PDP, Kaduna South) and Honourable Sunday Katung, (PDP, Rep. member, Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency).

The governor, while presenting the staff of office to the new Agwatyap  in  Samaru-Kataf, called  on the  royal father to rule the chiefdom with justice, equity and fairness.

El-Rufai implored the new monach to sustain the bridge-building legacy of his predecessor  late Agwatyap Yusuf Bungon.

“Too many merchants of hate and division menace our land. They seek to have their bread buttered by the suffering and destruction that violence brings. They promote a persistent victim mentality, pushing a narrative that relegates and diminishes people and inclines them to base conduct.

“They package ordinary people into the mistaken and dangerous belief that the dice is always loaded against them because of religion and region, thereby fuelling a baseless sense of rage and hate.

‘When and wherever violence wreaks havoc to live and limb, they see opportunity to feather their nests, rather than embrace their responsibility to work to ensure everyone’s right to life, movement and residence is respected.”

He reaffirmed the commitment of the government to security and peace building not only in Southern Kaduna, but in every part of the state. He disclosed that the government was exploring various avenues to secure peace, from supporting the security forces to promoting community engagements.

While observing that security efforts and intelligence gathering must improve, the governor said that peace was sustained ultimately by people’s willingness to live in harmony. “We must all soberly acknowledge that the ultimate guarantee of peace is the willingness of people to live together in harmony and mutual respect,” he explained.

In his acceptance speech, the new monarch, Dominic Gambo vowed to uphold the culture and tradition of  the Atytap people ,saying, ‘No community develops when it relegates its culture and tradition to the background’.