Zangon Kataf Rejects El-Rufai’s Religious Bill

This was a resolve following a town hall meeting at Unguwan Wakili, Zangon Kataf LGA of the state.

The Religious bill which was introduced by Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai early this year seeks to place guidelines and restrictions on how preaching and religious rites are performed in the state, with sanctions spelt out for violators.

Rising from the meeting, the stakeholders said; “Having deliberated at length over “the Bill For a Law to substitute the Kaduna State Religious Preaching Law, 1984”, at a stakeholders’ meeting organised by our elected representative, to KDHA, Hon. Danladi Ungulu Kwasau, at Unguwan Wakili, on June 4, 2016, the following resolutions were reached.

“We thank our member at KDHA the wisdom in seeking for our opinion on how he would vote in plenary when the aforementioned bill comes up for voting. We affirmed that almost all the groups and associations present here, reject the bill and call on our member to vote against it.

“Being a predominantly Christian constituency, we stand by the position of Kaduna State chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, which have rejected the bill in its submission to KDHA on the matter earlier than now. It is also acknowledged, that the Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, Zangon Kataf branch, also stands by what JNI, Kaduna State branch presented as its position on the bill to KDHA. The JNI does not uprightly reject the bill, but wants some aspects of it amended.”

The decision was taken by Venerable John Bwanqwot, of CAN, Alhaji Idris Adamu Jauro of JNI, Jacob Zango, Atyap Community Development Association, ACDA and Daneil Magaji of Kataf Youth Christian Association, KYCA.

Others were Yakubu Surajo of the Islamic Matters Association, Martina Ignatus, Tsotson-tat, Abdeil Kude, for Civil Society Organisations, CSO and Luka Binniyat of Southern Kaduna Practicing Journalists, among others.