FG to give more roles to traditional rulers, says NOA DG

DAMISI OJO, Akure

The Federal Government has said it would assign more roles to traditional rulers, irrespective of grades, to entrench core values into the society and its citizenry.

This was revealed by the Director General of National Orientation Agency, (NOA), Mr. Lanre Issa-Onilu while paying courtesy visit to the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, Odundun II on Tuesday in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

According to him, any country that ignores her traditional institutions should suffer for it.

The NOA DG noted that the Agency had a responsibility that the country was not the same as political leaders, stressing that the country missed its way because it overlooked the important role of traditional rulers.

Issa Onilu maintained that any country that ignored the role of traditional institution will find itself where Nigeria has found itself.

However, he said it was not too late for Nigeria to retrace her steps and go back to  where it should really belong.

The DG said the agency was trying to institute a social contract called ”National Life Charter”, where the citizens had certain expectations of the country and the country would also in turn spell out what it wanted from Nigerians.

He said: “The country has imposed certain responsibilities on the citizens but the citizens also expect certain benefits from the country.

“So, it is a two way thing and all along, all we had in the past is ‘Change Begins with Me’, but change can’t begin with you when you don’t have any expectations.

“So, the National Life Charter or National Value Charter is to institute a social contract where the citizens have certain expectations of the country and the country can now say, these are the responsibilities that we want from you as Nigerians”

Issa-Onilu said President Bola Tinubu would soon unveil the National Value system that is going to speak to those promises that the country is making no matter what political party or any government in power.

In his response, the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, opined that the traditional institutions must be given a role that would be included in the constitution of the country where no governor could remove.

The monarch said traditional rulers were very close to the grassroots and serving as Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) for the people of their community.

Oba Aladelusi observed that the concept needed to be well rooted and be enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution to make royal fathers more efficient.

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