Constitutional Roles For Traditional Institutions Will Address Insecurity issues – Chief Ibara Insists

BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – For the country to overcome its present security challenges, traditional institutions need to be assigned constitutional roles, the Onu Igala of Bauchi State, Alhaji Inuwa Ibara has declared.

This is just as he expressed confidence that the present insecurity challenges facing the country can be effectively tackled if Nigerians believe in the Nigeria project knowing that unity is the best ingredient needed to move forward positively.

Ibara, who stated these in a chat with Journalists in Bauchi on Sunday shortly after witnessing the election of the new leadership for the Igala Cultural Development Association (ICDA), said traditional institution has a great role to play in promoting peace and peaceful co-existence among Nigerian Citizens.

Ibara noted that the institution has been relegated to the background in the country which led to why Nigeria is having serious security challenges.

According to Ibara; “If you go down memory lane, the traditional institutions were playing significant role in the administration of the country. You will discover that most of the problems we are facing today were not there but with a new dispensation in the country, things changed.

“That is why we are facing the challenges across the country, because traditional rulers have no say now, even if he sees something happening in his domain, he does not have the power to say anything, no authority to operate because, if he tries to stop it by exercising the power, he will run into trouble because there is no constitutional role for him to do so. A constitutional role for traditional rulers will go a long way in solving the problems”.

Ibara stressed the need for tolerance among Nigerians wherever they are, saying; “we are one, we have common source of existence, tribe is just used to identify where one comes from. We should see ourselves as brothers and sisters, one people united by divine grace. Together, we can change the narrative of the country.

“I have been in Bauchi State for over 40 years now, and I can say that things are changing now. When I came to Bauchi, there was nothing like differences in relationships with each other but now that people are after monetary gains, things have changed negatively,” he said.