Some traditional rulers, under the aegis of the Yoruba Obas Forum, on Monday in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, demanded the allocation of security votes to traditional institutions in Nigeria, full local government autonomy, and intervention funds for farmers to meet up with local food consumption and boost exports.
They contended that recurring insecurity challenges facing the country can be effectively tackled if funds are allocated from the federation account to traditional institutions to tame the incidence of criminalities at the grass-roots level as a precursor to ensuring peace and security in Nigeria.
Rising from the annual general meeting of the forum, which was held at Kakanfo Inn, Ibadan, the monarchs, in a communique read by the Elerinmo of Erinmon Ijesa, Oba Michael Odunayo Ajayi, stated: “We request the Federal Government to create a special intervention fund for security that would be administered by the traditional rulers as a way to improve on the spate of insecurity in the country.
The communique reads: “We are requesting the government to immediately expedite action granting financial autonomy to local government authorities so as to be better equipped to serve rural communities, improve socioeconomic development, and then curb migration from rural to urban centres.
“This is because we feel that all crimes are local, and if it is nipped in the bud, with the traditional rulers working in tandem with the security agencies, then it will be much easier because we have our own local traditional security arrangements, which will go a long way to gathering intelligence in order to back up security organisations. And of course, it requires a special fund for that.
“We call on the government to critically look into the suggestions proffered during the last Constitutional Review Conference and to take steps to ensure that Nigerian politics is on a better tripod than it is now, which is a bit fragile.
“We suggest that local government authorities and traditional rulers, as well as the states, have better control of resources within their domain.
“Finally, we request that everyone support the administration of President Bola Tinubu in all their reforms and efforts to turn around the situation in Nigeria. We commend the efforts of the new administration so far and urge them to look into and arrest the inflationary tendencies and the rising cost of living and security in the country,” the communiqué concluded.
Earlier in his address, the interim president of the Yoruba Obas Forum, who is also the Molokun of Atijere Kingdom in Ilaje axis of Ondo State, Oba Samuel O. Kolawole, hinted that the forum had the full backing of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and other prominent traditional rulers across the South West.
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