The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade I, has called on politicians to eschew primordial sentiments and be more pragmatic in finding solutions to the myriad of problems confronting the country.
The monarch said national growth and development depend largely on justice, moral worth, responsibility, conscientiousness, devotion to duty, selflessness, probity and honesty exhibited by both leaders and the led.
Oba Owoade gave the charge in a statement to commemorate Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary, released by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, on Tuesday.
According to the monarch, a nation’s value system is sacred and extends beyond its boundaries, noting that all nations are proud of their value systems just as individuals are proud of their upbringing and character.
“It is assumed that a nation’s value system is sacred and could extend beyond that nation’s boundaries. All nations are supposed to be proud of their value systems, just as a person is proud of his or her upbringing and character and would try to impress that behaviour and beliefs on others. Basic values are traditional and historic, reflecting aspects of the experience that each nation went through since its inception as a national unity,” he said.
The first-class monarch stressed that politicians must close ranks and logically brainstorm to arrive at an in-depth and coherent understanding of the contending state-building issues in the country.
Tracing Nigeria’s history, Oba Owoade noted that the amalgamation of the Southern and Northern protectorates in 1914 brought together peoples of diverse historical and cultural backgrounds into one political space to chart a new future.
“Despite this obvious challenge of diversity, the commitment of the colonial government towards ensuring the unity was demonstrated in a number of policies aimed at fostering cultural, political, social and economic ties among the various groups in the new nation.
“Thus, from the time of amalgamation of the two protectorates with the colony of Lagos, till the period of regional administrations, Nigeria became committed to a united federation. Its commitment arose from its acceptance of federalism as a particular kind of functional arrangement between diverse communities for living together and working together nationally whilst preserving a measure of separate entity.”
He added that the quantum of unification and quality of unity achieved in the First Republic were evident in the provision of education, solid infrastructure, gainful employment, social welfare programmes and sound healthcare delivery by nationalists such as Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and the Sardauna of Sokoto.
Alaafin further argued that traditional institutions must be preserved and constitutionally recognised, saying that if Britain, which colonised Nigeria and introduced liberal democracy, still preserves its traditional institution by making the King the ceremonial head of state with powers over the British Armed Forces, there is no justifiable reason to throw traditional rulers in Nigeria into the dustbin of modern politics and governance.
According to him, since citizens, who are the major determiners of the success or otherwise of democratic and development programmes, are under the traditional influence of Obas, the position of traditional rulers as potent mobilisers, advisers, mediators, facilitators, adjudicators and nominators should be greatly harnessed.
“It is, therefore, suggested that the traditional institutions which are the only remnants of our pre-colonial political system must be preserved, promoted and strengthened through official constitutional recognition and acknowledgement,” he said.
Oba Owoade lamented that traditional institutions have gone through thick and thin, noting that they have been strengthened and weakened, elevated and humiliated, empowered and disempowered by the emergent political class from the pre-colonial era through colonialism to the post-colonial period.
“Before the coming of the Europeans, traditional rulers held sway not only as the recognised political rulers of the states and kingdoms in Nigeria but also as custodians of the people’s history, culture, religion and economy,” he stated.
“The traditional institutions in the pre-colonial Yorubaland had all elements of modern governmental systems and they perfectly suited the social, political and economic situations of the era with the overall goal of the welfare of the generality of the people.
“The advent of colonial rule and the imposition of Western styles of government not only reduced the powers and relevance of the traditional rulers but also made them subservient to their subjects, the educated elite. Since independence in 1960, the political status of traditional rulers has gone from bad to worse with far-reaching consequences for governance and administration in the country.”
The monarch also lauded President Bola Tinubu’s administration for focusing on rebuilding and laying the foundations for a sustainable country, noting that though Nigeria has undergone avoidable levels of deprivation, it can be surmounted if all work together.