Don wants constitutional role for traditional rulers

Don wants constitutional role for traditional rulers

ON October 9, 2017 3:16 PM / IN News / BY
Ugoh Solomon Chinonso
Prof. Ibrahim Jaro of Geography Department, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has advocated for a constitutional role for traditional rulers in the country to facilitate cultural development and promote peace.
Jaro, who is a traditional title holder of “Jarman Tudun-Wada, Zaria’’, made the call on Monday in an interview with newsmen in Zaria, Kaduna State.
He said the appeal has become imperative in view of the significant role the royal fathers played to maintain law and order in their respective domains.
The don observed that assigning a constitutional role would not only give them a sense of belonging, but also promote lasting peace and rapid development in the country.
This, according to him, will reduce redundancy and idleness amongst the royal fathers and put them on the path of productive lane.
“The traditional rulers use their wisdom to intervene in the event of conflicts among members of the society.
“Before amalgamation, the traditional institutions were used to mediate in socio-economic, religious and political crisis.
“The colonial masters found the traditional system in Nigeria very suitable and relevant, which made them to borrow some parts of the system into the policy of the nation,” he said.
Jaro said the setting of traditional institutions established the positions of the ward head, village head and district head who were all answerable to the emir or any other name as the case may be.
“The ward head is answerable to village head, village head answerable to district head while the district head is answerable to the emir or chief.
“This system had worked and yielded positive results, and people were living like brothers and sisters in the various communities.
“This is the same system the colonial masters used and created the offices of Governor, Chairman and Councillor,” he said.
Jaro also called on Nigerians to be law abiding and support government policies and programmes to attract dividends of democracy to their respective areas.