Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has been applauded for implementing the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs law of 1979 in the State.
The President of Edorodion Union Mr. Eguaogie Edoimioya gave the applaud in a statement endorsed by him and made available to journalists in Benin City, Thursday.
The commendation is coming few days after the state government announced that Edo traditional rulers would henceforth receive monthly allowances to enable them administer their domains as the state government implements the 1979 Law on Local Council Administration.
The announcement was contained in a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie, with a title “Traditional Rulers To Get Monthly Allowance To Administer Domains, As Edo Government Implements 1979 Law On Local Council Administration… Oba of Benin Remains Permanent Chair of Edo State Traditional Council Of Obas, Chiefs”.
According to Mr. Eguaogie Edoimioya, the said 1979 law is the extant law guiding the appointment of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs and their activities in the defunct Bendel State, now Edo and Delta States.
“The law gives the governor and the state executive council the sole prerogative to constitute traditional councils in all the 18 Local Government Areas in Edo State.
“This is the only law that recognized the role of traditional rulers as agents of change in modern Edo State. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria did not give any role to traditional rulers in the present dispensation. Traditional rulers in the state are placed under the purview of the Ministry of Local Government and chieftaincy affairs”, Mr. Eguaogie Edoimioya stated.
The Union President expressed confidence that the execution of the law would attract unexpected developments to the state, particularly the seven local government areas in Edo South Senatorial district.
Mr. Eguaogie however appealed to prospective critics of the action of Mr. Godwin Obaseki to be optimistic as the old order had not actually brought about the much desired developments in the local councils in Edo South.
He noted that the implementation of the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Law of 1979 would further empower traditional rulers and chiefs to further deepen development in Benin Kingdom, not balkanise it as is being speculated by sceptics.
“There is nothing to bulkanise in the kingdom as it has remained intact and enduring since the creation of the seven local government councils in Edo South.
“Iguobazuwa, Abudu, Okada, Ehor and Idogbo have been local government headquarters for decades but none of them bear semblance of a modern day administrative domain. Is there anyone of them that looks like Uromi or Ekpoma or Auchi in terms of development? In spite of the presence of a university in Okada, it hasn’t stripped it of the garb of a typical village.
“Now that the governor has revived the laws as espoused in the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Law to use traditional Rulers and Chiefs as agents of grassroots development, all hands must be on deck to move Edo south forward”, the union noted.
