Military administrations stripped us of constitutional roles -Monarchs

By Tunde Opalana & Kamarudeen Ogundele

It was revealed in Abuja on Thursday how various military administration’s of former heads of state, late Gen. Aguiyi Ironsi, Murtala Muhammed and Olusegun Obasanjo waned down constitutional roles assigned traditional rulers.

The National Council of Traditional Rulers chaired by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar and co-chaired by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, blamed the military administrations that ruled the country between 1966 and 1979 of making traditional rulers redundant at all levels of governance in the country.

The royal fathers therefore, demanded constitutional role in governance as was prevalent during the pre-colonial, colonial and even post colonial era in order to ensure adequate peace and security in the country, especially at the grassroots.

The council’s demand was contained in the submissions made before the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Constitution Review at the National Assembly by the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar on behalf of the traditional rulers.

The council bemoaned lack of constitutional roles for monarchs created the problems of insecurity, religious and communal clashes currently facing the country.

They said traditional institution aside been the only platform of societal administration before the advent of colonialism, was also the veritable platform heavily relied upon by the colonialists during the era of colonialism , which made the Institution to be factored into the form of governance bequeathed to us in 1960 at independence.

“At independence and even before, precisely during the first republic, both the 1960 and 1963 constitutions, gave traditional rulers substantial roles to play in governance through bicameral legislature at the regional level with the House of Chiefs in place along with parliaments meant for elected representatives.

“But the military interregnum which started with the AguyiIronsi regime in January 1966 to that of Yakubu Gowon from July 1966 to July 1975 and that of Obasanjo which carried out the local government reform in 1976, stripped the traditional rulers of any constitutional role in governance.

“Unfortunately, before the exclusion of the Institution from governance, particularly at the grassroots, insecurity was not problems for the country as well as well as religious and communal clashes being experienced in different parts of the country now,” the Etsu said.

He specifically declared that the 1976 Local Government Reform, carried out under the Obasanjo military regime, crippled the institution in the running of governance at the local level like arbitration on issues like marital , land theft etc, within an Emirate or community.

“No community or nation can thrive successfully without due consideration of its historical evolution, which was not considered by any of the provisions of the 1999 constitution.

“Even the ceremonial function given the Institution by the 1979 constitution with inclusion of chairmen of Council of traditional rulers from each of the 19 states then, as members of National Council of States was removed by the 1999 constitution,” he lamented.

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He, therefore, as contained in the 19 – page written memorandum submitted to the committee, demanded for reinstatement of status of traditional institution in the country as it was before, during and few years after the colonial era.

In his remarks, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan assured the traditional rulers of cooperation of the National Assembly in acceding to their demands.

“If given the required constitutional role , traditional institution, will no doubt, add values to governance in the country in the area of security, communal conflicts among others.

“In fact, if there is need for the institution to be factored into the nation’s security architecture, it should be done for security and safety of Nigerians across the length and breadth of the country,” he said.

Also, chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on Constitution Review in the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege in his remarks, urged the traditional rulers to lobby both the federal and state lawmakers for easy adoption of their requests, since according to him, all political office holders, elected or appointed, are subjects of traditional rulers.