JUST IN: Yoruba monarchs set agenda for Tinubu

TRADITIONAL rulers in Nigeria, under the aegis of Yoruba Obas Forum, yesterday, urged the incoming administration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to grant constitutional roles to monarchs, in line with the 1969 constitution.

The monarchs also insisted that nothing should stop the May 29 inauguration of the President-elect and Vice President-elect.

In a statement by the President and General-Secretary of the traditional rulers’ forum, the Molokun of Atijere, Oba Samuel Adeoye, and the Olukotun of Ikotun-Ile, Oba Abdulrasaq Abioye, the forum said constitutional roles for monarchs in the country would foster stability in the polity.

The monarchs said: “Traditional institution is a significant part of every society and royal fathers should be accorded due recognition constitutionally. We are the custodians of our customs and tradition and we sustain peace and stability in our domains which are some of the reasons the incoming government must accord us our due constitutional roles being the closest to the grassroots.

“We enjoin the incoming President of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his Vice, Kashim Shettima to consider giving constitutional roles to traditional rulers in the country which we believe would go a long way to bring the dividends of democracy closer to the rural areas, as well as to curb insecurity in the nation being the Chief Security Officers of our respective domains.

“We believe constitutional roles for traditional rulers in Nigeria are long overdue and it will ease the burden of governments by bringing adequate developments closer to the rural dwellers and bridge failure gaps. We, therefore, appeal to the incoming government to grant our request which we believe would lead to prosperity for the entire nation.

“We have the following eight-point agenda for the incoming administration as a template which includes, clear constitutional roles for traditional rulers as 4th tier of government or replace the existing local government authorities with local councils under traditional rulers. The government must 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. The government should support agriculture in rural areas for local consumption and export purposes.

“Others include the diversification of the economy to curb dependence on crude oil, with a special focus on agriculture, tourism and mining under the partnership between the government and the traditional rulers.

We also want the 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 monarchs further warned against any plot to scuttle the swearing-in of Tinubu and Shettima on May 29 noting that the inauguration remains sacrosanct.