Yoruba Obas Forum, a group of traditional rulers from communities in the South-West and Middle Belt Nigeria, has elucidated eight areas that they want the incoming administration of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, to focus on.
The monarchs’ demands were contained in a statement co-signed by administrator of the forum, Oba Odunayo Ajayi, the President of the forum, who doubles as the Molokun of Atijere, Oba Samuel Adeoye and the forum’s General-Secretary, the Olukotun of Ikotun-Ile, Oba. Abdulrasaq Abioye.
Top of their demand is the provision of legal backing for traditional rulers as it regards local government administration.
The royal fathers asked Tinubu to ensure, “clear constitution roles for traditional rulers as fourth tier of government to replace the existing local government authorities with local councils under traditional rulers.”
The also requested that “government should apportion at least 50 per cent of the security votes to the traditional rulers to effectively oversee the security affairs of each domain in conjunction with traditional, native and other government security apparatus.”
Furthermore, they asked for “devolution of more powers to the local government areas under the supervision of traditional rulers.”
“Government should support agriculture at the rural areas for local consumption and export purposes; it should ensure diversification of the crude to curb over-dependence of crude oil, with special focus on agriculture; it should promote tourism; mining activities should be done in partnership between the government and the traditional rulers.”
They also asked for the re-introduction of customary/native courts under the headship of traditional rulers with jurisdiction over land, domestic, and other similar matters, documentation and recognition of judgements at these courts by the government.
They also told the administration to give priority to challenges militating against regular power, urging it to consider regional and sub-regional power generation, distribution and transmission to ease the situation.
Furthermore, they warned against plot to scuttle the swearing-in of the President-elect, and Vice-President-elect, Kashim Shettima, noting that such could truncate democracy