KATAKPA Community in Nasarawa were Rice mill to be situated belongs to Turunku chiefdom – Bassa Kwomu chief say

“HRH and Council would like to make this abundantly clear: Katapka is firmly rooted in Turunku Chiefdom. There is NO LAW in Nigeria that has ceded Katapka to any other entity other Turunku Chiefdom.”

OFFICE OF HRH, THE AGUMA OF BASSA TURUNKU CHIEFDOM, TOTO LGA, NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA.

THE SITUATION IN KATAKPA AND THE POSITION OF HRH AND BASSA COUNCIL OF CHIEFS.

1. HRH and the Bassa Council of Chiefs have observed the legitimate concerns of the Bassa Nation regarding the situation at Katapka especially the signing of a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the State Government, Azman Rice Mills and Farms Ltd and the Umaisha Community for the establishment of a rice plantation.
2. HRH and Council would like to make this abundantly clear: Katapka is firmly rooted in Turunku Chiefdom. There is NO LAW in Nigeria that has ceded Katapka to any other entity other Turunku Chiefdom.
3. HRH and Council would like to assure the Bassa Community that the malicious or ignorant interpretation of Executive Order No.7 can never turn Katapka over to any other community other than the Bassa.
4. The Legal Notice that actulized Turunku Chiefdom did not say Katapka now belonged to any other geo-cultural or political entity in Toto Local Government other than Turunku Chiefdom. For those who may not be history conscious, Katapka has always been a Bassa polity. The only interruption in the Bassa overlordship at Katapka was when Nasarawa Division was ruled directly by the defunct Nasarawa Native Authority and the Pagachin Nasarawa served as the District Head. When local authority was returned back to the native owners of the land, overlordship was reverted back to the Bassa. Since then, all the rulers of Katapka have been Bassa back and forth. The last Village Head of Katapka was Dogwo Dagba who was murdered during the 1997/98 Crisis.
5. Unfortunately, the tripartite MoU was signed at a time the Bassa Stakeholders of Katapka were still in Exile and their views were not sought on the Terms and Conditions of Agreement of the document in question.
6. HRH and Council has consulted with the Chiefs and Elders of Bassa Community and steps are being taken to impress on Government the legitimate concerns of the Bassa Community over Katapka in a peaceful and lawful manner.
7. HRH and Council will like to advise those using the Katapka matter as an instrument of blackmail, calumnous propaganda and misinformation to please cease and desist forthwith. This is not helping anyone but the forces that are resolved to pursue our ethnocultural extinction.
8. HRH and Council will like to assure everyone that His Excellency Engr. A.A. Sule has expressed his desire to hear us and grant redress and justice as no deals can truly stand when the owners of the land are still in Exile.
9. In conclusion, HRH wishes to advise his subjects that they should not be hoodwinked into believing the speculations going round that the villages under Turunku Chiefdom as spelt out by Edict No.4 of 1999 has been compromised or ceded to any other District in Toto LGA as far as the Bassa people of Toto LGA are concerned. The spirit of Executive Order No.7 is meant to encourage dialogue and sustainable resolutions between us and our neighbours in a Local Government Area that has suffered intractable conflicts over boundaries and territories. It is not an Act of Parliament or Legislation and neither was it meant to take away anything given to us in Edict No. 4 of 1999 . Be assured that Edict No.4 is still in force and is the basis on which the Aguma of Bassa was appointed. HRH and Council would like to assure all stakeholders that through peaceful and resolute dialogue the issues surrounding Katapka will be resolved.

Thank you!

Signed:
Jibreel Gimba
S.A. Media & Publicity,
For,
HRH.