The Senate on Thursday approved for second reading the bill to establish the National Council for Traditional Rulers, aimed at formally giving monarchs and community heads vital roles in the country.
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The bill was sponsored by the senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District, Simon Lalong.
When the bill was first introduced, it sparked extensive debate among lawmakers, with concerns raised about potential conflicts between the responsibilities of traditional rulers and elected officials at the local government level.
But Lalong, a former Plateau governor, argued that today’s traditional rulers are well-educated and can provide valuable counsel on issues such as insecurity and other national matters, which could assist the government in addressing the needs of the citizens.
The erstwhile Director-General of the Tinubu-Shettima Campaign Council also asserted that they would be useful in the areas of security and conflict resolution in local communities.
He said, “When there are crises and killings, the first thing people say is ‘Let’s hold the traditional ruler responsible.’ It is true in their communities, they know everybody, including the criminals.
But we expect them to be the ones running up and down.
“We need to charge them with responsibilities where they will be committed. But for now, you can’t hold them responsible. As the Director-General of the campaign for Asiwaju and Kashim, we went around having some meetings with these traditional rulers.
“Every time we want them to participate, they ask to be given a role. So, it was also part of our (electioneering) campaign. So, I don’t see how we can jettison that when we are struggling for a constitutional amendment with respect to security. If we don’t have security, every other thing we are doing is rubbish.”
Despite his assurance, some senators still expressed concerns about the possibility of overlapping duties and emphasised the need for the bill to clearly delineate the roles of traditional rulers and government officials to avoid confusion.
In his remarks, Senate President Godswill Akpabio stressed the importance of clearly defining the functions of traditional rulers within the bill.
He also suggested holding a public hearing to gather input before the bill proceeds to a third reading.
Akpabio acknowledged the value traditional rulers could bring in providing counsel on a wide range of issues that could benefit the government.
The bill was subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Establishment, with a mandate to report back within four weeks.
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