PORT-HARCOURT – The Benin Monarch, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II has asserted that Tradition Institution remains unique addition to the rich diversity of Nigeria, stressing that it provides underlying principles of governance and people centric approach to public administration, rule of law as well as reinforcing the role of the statutory political authorities in the country.
Oba Ewuare II who made the assertion during his thank you tour to South-South Monarchs Forum in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, said that the relevance of the traditional institutions in the nation over the years have been relegated to the background over lack of adequate recognition and protection of their roles in the socio-political and economic fabric of the country.
The Benin Monarch said: “It therefore behoves on the traditional institution to undertake a self-cleansing exercise by purging itself of flagrant abuse of our traditional norms and cultural values and desist from unethical behavior that does not accord with the integrity and desired respect for traditional institution.
“However, unlike what obtains in most contemporary nation-states where the indigenous traditional authorities have lost ground to emergent democratic and political ideologies, the traditional institution in the country has shown commendable resilience weathering the waves of modernisation.
“Today, (Monday), its importance in the national scheme of things cannot be underestimated as it is indeed the thread that holds together the fabric of unity and peaceful coexistence among the diverse people of the nation”, he said.
He stressed on need for traditional rulers across the country to forge firm bonds of unity especially as the country make further foray into 21 century, which would be defined by knowledge, technology and data.
The Monarch noted that the National Council of Traditional Rulers (NCTR) has been responsible for the role of national bridge building.
“The dynamics of our national development, especially since the turn of the century, implies that the governance structure and its mechanisms of operation require fundamental re-engineering to ensure that it becomes more participatory and more inclusive for it to achieve the laudable objectives inspiring its existence.
“In strengthening the governance structure of the existing body, it would be worthy of consideration to institute a Presiding Council (or Committee of Chairmen), made up of a Traditional Ruler from each of the six geopolitical zones to form a new Chairman in Council, to preside over the body, The new Presiding Council will effectiveness replace the existing practice.
“Each one of these six Presiding Council members may preside in a rotational capacity at any given sitting of the NCTR”, the Oba posited.
Why assuring that NCTR if adopted would give voice to wider spectrum of traditional rulers in the council Council.
Speaking earlier, acting on behalf of Chairman of the South-South Monarchs Forum, the Vice Chairman, His Majesty, (Major Gen.) Felix Mujakperuo (retd), the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, thanked the Oba of Benin for the visit, pointing out that his wealth of experience would no doubt transform the forum to an enviable height.
