The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Wednesday, in Osogbo, Osun State capital, x-rayed the insecurity challenges plaguing Nigeria and identified injustice and collapse of value system as factors fuelling insecurity in the country

They also said that the active involvement and collaboration with the traditional institution on the part of government would go a long way in tackling banditry and wanton killings in Nigeria.

The duo spoke at a National Summit on Insecurity and Security: Roles of Traditional Institution organised by the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU), in Osogbo.

According to Abubakar, “there cannot be peace and security if there is injustice in any society. Similarly, good governance cannot thrive if there’s injustice. Nigerians should be bold to speak the truth. Don’t feel threatened by any governor, politicians or traditional rulers.

“We have a crisis of value. How do we degenerate into kidnapping, killing people without taking anything from them? Killing people in the name of what. Somebody mentioned there a pastor faking his own kidnap. Why did we go down so low? We need to go back to the roots and find out how we can salvage the situation.

“The problems with this country have always been from us the elites. We can correct the issues in this country if we want to. We are the ones who use the common man who doesn’t have anything to get what we want,” Abubakar asserted.

In his remark, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi charged Nigerians to expose criminal elements in the communities, saying “what we are discussing here about security is not new. What steps are taking to really tackle insecurity?”

He stated that “traditional rulers are representatives of God. They are the ones governing the towns and communities. Peoples still recall back to traditional rulers when there is a problem. When there is a breakdown of security, the nation or any society loses grip.

Any leader that cannot secure the property and lives is not worthy to be a leader. Such a leader should resign honourably having failed in his responsibility.

“It is about time to know the real roles of traditional rulers. It is time to give the traditional rulers the opportunity to secure our society the way our ancestors and forebearers did it.

“To us as traditional rulers, we know how important it is for our people to be secured and be given what is right in terms of security of lives and properties. We are willing now to work with the government. Everything they have to do, their tenure lapse after the period of eight years. But, we are natural rulers that understand everything that has to do with the dynamics of the good, bad and ugly of societies.

“We should be talking about solutions to security problems. Enough of talkshow. In the North East, vigilante groups being set up by communities, Emirs and district heads are giving the headway in terms of security.

“That is why we set up Amotekun in South-West and all traditional rulers are being carried along because we know our people. Amotekun has come to stay.

“Nobody is pushing for the disintegration of the country. What we want to do is to set good leadership example on how to secure our people.

“I want to appeal to you that whoever is bad in your communities, push them out. Don’t harbour bad elements. Push them to those palaces and district heads and they will be appropriately dealt with,” Oba Ogunwusi averred. (Nigerian Tribune)

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