By Mercy Aikoye
Traditional rulers in Nigeria are calling for the restoration of their constitutional roles, which were removed in the 1999 Constitution. They made this demand at a public hearing on constitutional amendment in Minna, Niger State.
The Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, speaking on behalf of the Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, said, “The 1999 revised Constitution actually cleaned out these basic roles of the traditional institutions thereby breaking the link between the government and governed.
” He added, “Since we had that broken link between the government and the governed, we have so many challenges, especially in the areas of security and mobilisation of our people.”
The traditional rulers have made recommendations to the National Assembly Committee on Constitution Review, urging them to create roles for traditional rulers in matters involving religion, culture, security, justice, and other ancillary matters. They also want the Chairman of State Council of Chiefs to be recognized as members of the Council of States.
The Etsu Nupe emphasized the importance of traditional rulers in governance, saying, “Between the years 1920s and 1960s, the traditional rulers were very-very influential and in charge of the Native Authorities and institutions.” He added, “We believe that traditional rulers in Nigeria decided to freely associate and share a common principle of fairness, justice and equity.”
The Chairman of the North Central Center A, Hon. Ali Abdullahi Ibrahim, assured the participants that the House Committee on Constitution Review would be thorough and do justice to all submissions. He said, “The House has debated all the issues and thereby created the avenue for this further legislative action so as to ensure participation of Nigerians and other very important stakeholders.”
The public hearing aims to gather views from stakeholders and citizens to improve the living conditions and standard of all Nigerians. Rep. Ali Abdullahi Ibrahim emphasized that “the key to the unity of this great nation lies mostly in this exercise.”
The traditional rulers’ call for the restoration of their constitutional roles highlights the need for a more inclusive and effective governance system. The National Assembly Committee on Constitution Review has assured Nigerians that they will do justice to all submissions and create a constitution that serves the needs of all.
