From Francis Nansak, Lafia
Governors of the Nineteen northern states, have through their chairman and the Governor of Plateau state, Barrister, Simon Bako Lalong, called for the integration of traditional rulers in the governing system of the country.
Governor Simon Lalong made the call ion Thursday n Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital, while inaugurating the Consultative Committee on Role of Traditional Rulers in Governance, as Architecture of Nigeria.
The inauguration of the committee came was on the heels of a similar one that held in Kaduna on 2/11/2020, where northern Governors interfaced with chairmen of the northern states traditional rulers council, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, and brainstormed on recent developments in the country, that arose from the ENDSARS and its subsequent fallouts.
In his speech during the inauguration of the committee, Governor Lalong, posited that “We believed that political and economic development would be more successful, when rooted in widely shared institutional and cultural values which traditional authorities represent.
“We are conscious of the fact that giving the traditional rulers more roles in governance, will require constitutional amendment, hence the setting up of this committee to look into matters and advise the Northern Governors Forum on how best to pursue this desire,” Gov Lalong pointed out.
According to the Chairman Northern Governors Forum, the Forum appreciated the roles played by the traditional rulers particularly in containing the ENDSARS protest in the north.
He stated that ” In this regard, the meeting again revisited the issue of the role of traditional rulers in governance architecture of the country, although this has been on the table for a long time ,the Forum saw the necessity of putting in place this committee to accelerate action,” he added.
In his speech, the host governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa state, while thanking the traditional rulers for accepting to serve in the committee, said the essence of the meeting was to inaugurate the committee of traditional rulers, who would be saddled with the responsibility of ensuring a better northern states and Nigeria at large.
“This is why mid last year at the resumption of office as governor of Nasarawa state, I realised the important role of the traditional rulers, who are traditional rulers who are experienced, traditional rulers that have the capacity and the right education to work together for the betterment of our people.
Governor Sule appreciated all the traditional rulers for accepting to serve in the committee.
Chairman of the newly inaugurated committee and President Nasarawa State Council of Chiefs, Justice Sidi Mohammed Bage, promised that the honour giving to them will, to their best, be discharged within the required time frame.
The committee will be chaired by the Emir of Lafia, along with the Emir of Yawuri, Dr Zayyan,Mohd, Emir of Kaura Namoda ,Dr Mohammed Asha ,with others as members.
While Senator Abdullahi Adamu represents the senate, Honourable Bello Limo, represents the Federal House of Representatives, and Alhaji Lai Mohammed will be representing the Federal Executive Council.
