The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, has warned that Nigeria’s most pressing battle is not fought with weapons but against moral decay, stressing that insecurity cannot be defeated without strong family values and the active role of traditional institutions.
The monarch spoke on Wednesday at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, Kaduna State, during the final training exercise, Haske Biyu 2025, for senior military officers. Delivering a lecture titled “Strengthening Family Values as a Force for National Security: The Role of Traditional Institutions,” he argued that the foundations of discipline and order have collapsed, leaving a vacuum exploited by insecurity.
“I stand here not as an expert but as a family man and custodian of a traditional institution,” he said, warning that peace will remain elusive unless families and traditional rulers are empowered to instill discipline, order, and justice. He recalled the influence of his uncles, Squadron Leader Adebayo Shaw and Colonel Kolawole Shaw, whose military discipline shaped his upbringing, teaching him that the armed forces’ greatest gift is not firepower but values.
Although he once aspired to join the Navy, Ogiame Atuwatse III said his late father discouraged him, reminding him that “the Lord’s purpose prevails.” Nonetheless, he maintained a lifelong conviction in the transformative role of discipline and justice, which he believes society desperately needs today.
The Olu lamented that traditional rulers are often sidelined despite being “custodians of values and arbiters of moral authority.” He argued that their involvement in intelligence gathering, conflict mediation, and peacebuilding is essential to national security. “In a nation where people still identify first with their roots, rulers set the tone,” he said.
He noted that insecurity thrives when “family discipline collapses and community cohesion fades.” According to him, storytelling, proverbs, and communal traditions once provided moral guardrails, and with adequate support, traditional institutions can still influence societal norms, even in the digital age.
The monarch described Nigeria’s moral crisis as a “war” to be fought in homes, schools, and communities. He urged a partnership where “the soldier’s discipline meets the ruler’s moral compass,” insisting that while weapons may silence enemies, only values can rebuild nations.
“The values we uphold today will determine the strength of our nation tomorrow,” he said, calling for constitutional recognition and resources for traditional rulers to effectively complement the state in securing peace.
