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Any Nation Pushing Traditional Rulers Aside May Not Prosper – Ooni Of Ife

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The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has asserted that any nation that does not give due credence to its traditional rulers might not prosper in its affairs.

The monarch as gathered by Naija News submitted that traditional rulers are the closest to the people, therefore the government must consider empowering them through the constitution to work with the government for the development of the nation.

The Ooni linked the high rate of crimes and unending security challenges to the failure of the government to assign specific constitutional roles to traditional rulers in the country.

This is as he advocated for constitutional roles and empowerment of traditional rulers in the country while noting that failure to do this might prevent the effect tackling of the insecurity faced by Nigerians.

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He pointed this out when he spoke as a Guest Speaker/Royal Father during the 2023 Exercise Haski Hiyu Lecture organised by the Armed Forces Command And Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State.

The monarch while speaking to the theme of the event tagged “Combating Internal Security Challenges Through Effective Utilisation Of Traditional Institution” remarked that even in the colonial era, the role of traditional rulers was not belittled.

He explained that “Any Nation pushing traditional rulers aside may not prosper. We are the closest to the people and we must be constitutionally empowered to work together with the government so as to take our country to another level, especially on security matters.

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“We were more relevant during the pre-independence struggle and post-independence constitutional democracy up till the end of the first Republic in 1966.

“When the colonial people came, they practised indirect rule in some parts of this country and they could only rule over the citizens through their traditional rulers. In fact, The First Governor of African origin was Ooni Adesoji Aderemi who simultaneously reigned as the King of Ile-Ife and same time governed the old Western Region alongside the Late Obafemi Awolowo as the Premier. This was when traditional rulers had constitutional powers.

“Palace is the focal point. Whenever there is a breakdown of law and order in town, people rush to the palace. To you the Nigerian gatekeepers, how do you want to do your jobs successfully without traditional instructions? Impossible!”

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