Ibadan chief, Adegoke canvasses constitutional roles for traditional rulers to fight insecurity

The Aare-Onibon Balogun of Ibadanland, Olooye Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke has declared that there is a need for the government to involve traditional rulers in governance to fight insecurity, saying they are closer to the people.

Adegoke also advised the people of integrity such as professionals, academics, and technocrats not to steer clear of politics so as not to allow hoodlums and miscreants to be in positions of leadership. 

He stated this while featuring on a radio program “Agbami Oselu” on Fresh FM,  Ibadan, the Oyo state capital on Sunday.

Adegoke, who is Oyo south senatorial hopeful said there was the need for the government to involve traditional rulers in governance particularly on the security issue because they are closer to the people.

He called for a constitutional amendment by the National Assembly to accommodate such roles for traditional rulers in governance.

Aare-Onibon, who is the Founder of Adegboyega Adegoke Resource Centre (AARC) emphasised that security is germane to the peaceful coexistence of any community and national development.

Noting that it is high time for the government to take security issues more seriously by delegating constitutional roles to traditional rulers.

This according to him, would afford them to have first hands information on security issues in their various communities and as such, they would know how to address any security challenge that may arise from their domains.

Adegoke, who is the Chairman, Solutions 93.9FM, Ibadan noted that to reduce insecurity to the barest minimum there should be responsibility for traditional rulers across the board, which should be spelled out constitutionally.

Adegoke, who is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) and a business turnaround expert maintained that security is the backbone of any society, which is tied to its social, political, economic, and cultural growth.

According to him, the inadequacy of this vital ingredient of development has led to all manner of social ills, including violent crimes such as armed robbery, ritual killings, child trafficking, and other crimes.

Adegoke, an alumni member of both OAU Ife and the University of Cambridge Judge Business School Advance Leadership Program, said the government on its part should make traditional rulers more responsible constitutionally to their domain, to reduce social vices to the barest minimum.

According to him, “Traditional rulers are closer to the people than local government chairmen. It is very hard to see anyone who will not recognise their monarch but they may not even know their local government chairman.

“Therefore, for democracy to thrive, there is the need for the involvement of traditional rulers in governance, particularly in the area of security.

“People of integrity should join politics in order not to give hoodlums a chance to be in power. There will be scarcity in the country. there will be a shortage of food, there will be inflation if the hoodlums take over because there is this saying that you cannot give what you don’t have. 

“If we don’t participate in politics, it is the miscreants and the hoodlums that will be ruling us and we cannot complain. We are not putting a round peg in a round hole. There is a problem of leadership and followership”, he stressed.