The Shettima of Okuta Emirate of Kwara state, North Central Nigeria, Mallam AbdulAzeez Arowona has suggested that the traditional institution needs to be constitutionally empowered in order for the country to decisively solve the perennial scourge of insecurity.
Arowona gave the advice during an interview with VON in Ilorin, the state capital .
According to the traditional Chief who is also a media consultant and the spokesperson of the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Dr Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, noted that the Nigerian constitution needs to fully empower the traditional institution to take active role in the country’s governance rather than only ceremonial function.
According to him, when you look at the situation whereby a local government chairman is highly recognized and backed by the constitution of the country, someone that will only spend three years whereby some of our traditional rulers have spent decades on their respective thrones and still they are not accorded constitutional roles does not augur well.
Arowona disclosed that the traditional rulers are the chief custodians of the culture of their people.
He added that they are the ones that can sanitize the country and they can’t do it alone until they’re fully backed up by the constitution of the country and it is until then that the nation can start to have headway on measures and means of tackling insecurity in our country.
Reminiscing on the several constitutional conferences that were held in Nigeria where cases were made for the empowering of the traditional institution, he lamented the lack of implementation of the recommendations of the conferences.
He said, “There are lot of constitutional conferences that were held in Nigeria including during the time of former President Goodluck Jonathan.The conference was organized and traditional institutions were well represented and number of cases were made for the role of traditional rulers in the nation’s constitution” .
“Unfortunately the outcome of these constitutional conferences haven’t seen the light of the day, it is our expectations that we would be made to know what were the recommendations in those conferences” he declared.
Arowona said until when Nigeria has a fruitful constitutional conference, when the place of traditional rulers are embedded in the constitution, that is when the country will have a way to the security challenges .
The Emir’s spokesperson also spoke about the upcoming colloquium organized by the Nigerian Union of journalists, kwara state Council in honour of the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, to mark his 27th year on the throne of Ilorin emirate which he described as a worthwhile event stressing that the emir deserved to be celebrated considering his achievements since he assumed the position of the eleventh emir of the ancient city of Ilorin.
He hailed the emir whom he described as a seasoned traditional ruler whose leadership prowess has brought tremendous development to his community.
The event is billed to take centre stage on Thursday, the 10th of November, 2022 with dignitaries from all walks of life expected to throng the venue of the event, Banquet hall Ilorin.
