By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Worried by the spate of insecurity in Nigeria, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba AbdulRoshid Akanbi Adewale has called on the Federal Government to involve traditional rulers in the task of addressing insecurity in the country.
Speaking during a visit to the Alarere residence of Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Lekan Balogun, the Oluwo said the time has come for the Federal Government to assign traditional rulers constitutional roles and empower them adequately towards addressing the worsening security problem as the structures of the traditional rulers remain the best in tackling insecurity.
Oba Adewale stressed that the ” structures of the traditional rulers are far better than those of the politicians.”.
” Let the government involve us and not just by talking to us through conference, no, assign us roles and give us empowerment.We are the closest arm to the people”, he said.
The Oluwo added, ” look at Ibadanland for instance, Olubadan as the paramount ruler has his Chiefs, the Mogajis, the Baales and the hunters to work with in ensuring that peace reigns under him”.
” Who is that politician, whatever his position that can boast of the type of structures a paramount ruler commands in terms of reaching out to the least person at the grassroots?. That’s why the institution of traditional rulers is very consequential when it comes to the issue of security.”
Oba Adewale stressed that the paramount rulers would coordinate the other and lesser Obas in the running of the affairs of their respective domains if given the necessary constitutional space to work.
” If we are empowered, it would trickle down and we would be able to secure ourselves. It is becoming almost impossible to ignore us-the traditional rulers if we are talking about effective and efficient security in this country.
” We can secure our land by becoming our respective policemen in our various domains if we are given the expected roles. In Iwo for instance, we have no problem and I can say it with emphasis that Iwo under me is well secured”.
He said further, ” we had engaged the visitors in our bushes and told them to be wary of people that come to them with a stern warning that we won’t tolerate any act of security sabotage in our land and they have been cooperating with us”.
On his visit to the Olubadan, the Oluwo said he came to Ibadan to greet his brother Oba and that they had useful discussion on the future of Yorubaland.
“We discussed extensively on how Yoruba would be great and regain her primus interpares among the comity of ethnic nations across the globe. It wasn’t just ordinary meeting, we also took time to pray for prosperous reign”, the monarch noted.
The Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Lekan Balogun thanked the Oluwo for his brotherly visit and that such meetings among traditional rulers in Yorubaland could not be overemphasized because of the inherent gains for their respective thrones and the Yorubaland at large.
