Yoruba traditional rulers have demanded constitutional roles from the government of the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, to enable them participate actively in curbing insecurity and engendering peace and stability in the country.
The monarchs, under the aegis of the Yoruba Obas’ Forum, consisting of frontline Yoruba Obas from South West and North Central states, described traditional institutions as sacred and pivotal to the success and survival of any society, saying no nation could grow when their tradition was being subjugated and suppressed in such a brazen fashion as witnessed in Nigeria.
In a statement jointly signed by the Administrator of the Forum, Michael Ajayi, the President of the Forum and Molokun of Atijere, Samuel Adeoye, and the Forum’s General Secretary who is also the Olukotun of Ikotun-Ile, Abdulrasaq Abioye, the monarchs described the traditional institution as a significant part of every society, adding that the role of the royal fathers should be accorded due recognition.
“We are the custodians of our customs and tradition and we sustain peace and stability in our domain which are some of the reasons government must accord us our due constitutional roles being the closest to the grassroots,” the group said.
The monarchs congratulated the president-elect, urging him to consider giving constitutional roles to traditional rulers in the country, saying it would go a long way to bring the dividends of democracy closer to the rural areas as well to curb insecurity in the entire nation.
The monarchs noted that they are the chief security officers of their domain calling for the reinstatement of the roles assigned to traditional rulers in the 1969 Constitution to bring about national peace, harmony, progress, adequate security, and advancement of the country.
They called for clear constitutional roles for traditional rulers as 4th tier of government or replace the existing local government authorities with local councils under traditional rulers; governments to apportion at least 50 per cent of the security votes to the traditional rulers to effectively oversee the security affairs of each domain in conjunction with traditional, native and other government security apparatus; devolution of more powers to the local government areas under the supervision of traditional rulers; support for agriculture at the rural areas for local consumption and export purposes.
The monarchs also demanded diversification of the crude to curb over-dependence on crude oil, with a special focus on agriculture, tourism, and mining under a partnership between the government and the traditional rulers; re-introduction of customary/native courts under the headship of traditional rulers with jurisdiction over land, domestic, and other similar matters, documentation and recognition of judgments at these courts.
The power sector should be given priority attention with consideration for regional and sub-regional power generation, distribution and transmission to ease the logjam,” the monarchs said.
