Without Constitutional Role, Traditional Rulers, Peacemakers In Domain – Chairman, Ondo Council Of Obas

By Ayodele Oni

The Chairman of the Ondo State Council of Obas and Deji of Akure Kingdom, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, has observed that the labour of Nigeria’s past heroes are going into oblivion, contrary to a stanza in the national anthem.

To revive the legacies of the heroes, the monarch joined the call for a total restructuring of the nation as a way out of the current quagmire bedeviling the nation.

Oba Aladetoyinbo pointed out that “we cannot continue to hide from the truth that is already staring us in the face. We will fail in our responsibilities of protecting the labour of our heroes if we fail to speak out that all is not well with our nation.”

A release by the media Aide to the monarch, Mr Micheal Adeyeye, stated that Oba Aladetoyinbo made the remarks at the 14th Public Lecture and Presentation of Essays in honour of Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama SAN to commemorate his 60th Birthday with the theme “The labour of our heroes past – collective efforts to keep Nigeria as one indivisible entity” held in Abuja.

According to him, “We can see the dwindling fortunes of our economy, many states are no longer economically viable owing months of salaries, allowances, pensions and gratuities. Besides, there seems to be a lot of mistrust between the government and the governed.

“It is expedient that we must as a matter of urgency build the bridges and close all the openings that are already threatening our coexistence as one indivisible entity.

“It is time for everyone to agree and come to term with this issue of restructuring that will guarantee fiscal and true federalism, devolution of powers with local government autonomy with a complete overhaul of our present constitution.

“I am sure we will surmount these seemingly unending challenges that is tearing us apart if we are truly patriotic about this restructuring.”

Oba Aladetoyinbo, who was the Royal Father of the day at the event noted that “part of the restructuring will be to give constitutional roles to the traditional rulers.

“We have seen the prospect and the gains in assigning constitutional roles to traditional rulers. As we speak, many of us are doing all we can to ensure peace in our domain, attracting investors and contributing to national development despite the fact that we do not have a constitutional role.

Guest Lecturer at the event and the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah cautioned politicians not to take the people for granted urging them to live above board to ensure that the legacies and labour of the nation’s founding fathers were not destroyed.

The release added that the event, which had eminent Nigerians in attendance was chaired by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court and the Emir of Lafia, HRH, (Justice) Sidi Bage.