The traditional leader of Ibadan, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Southwest Nigeria, Oba Rasidi Ladoja, has said that Nigeria’s insecurity challenges are not insurmountable, expressing confidence that President Bola Tinubu is adopting the right strategies to address the situation.
The 44th monarch of Ibadan, Oyo State, made the assertion on Friday during what he described as a thank-you visit to President Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, following the President’s attendance at his coronation ceremony on September 27.
The traditional ruler noted that while insecurity remains the country’s most pressing challenge, current efforts by the Nigerian government under the leadership of President Tinubu indicate a clear commitment to restoring safety and stability nationwide.
” I don’t think it is insurmountable but by and large we believe that the president is tackling it correctly now.”
Oba Ladoja urged the President to further strengthen interventions in food security and healthcare, stressing that access to farmlands is crucial to improving food security.
The Olubadan also called for improved healthcare infrastructure, emphasising the need for standard hospitals capable of providing quality medical care to Nigerians, while encouraging the Federal Government to sustain and deepen its efforts across critical sectors affecting citizens’ welfare.
“We expect the government to work more on the situation of the food. We expect them to look at the situation of health. We should have standard hospitals where we can treat our people. But the major problem we really now have is the problem of insecurity. Farmers find it difficult to go to their farms. And it is already coming to the south also.”
President Tinubu’s Economic Reforms
Speaking on ongoing economic reforms, Oba Ladoja lauded the economic policies of the Tinubu led administration adding that economic stability remains central to national progress. He expressed optimism that ongoing reforms of the Tinubu led administration would yield positive outcomes.
The traditional ruler expressed the view that Nigeria’s present situation is not as dire as it is often portrayed, despite the scale and complexity of the challenges facing the nation.
Oba Ladoja pointed out that states currently have greater financial capacity than in previous years, enabling them to better meet their obligations, a development he said should complement federal efforts.
“If you know from where he’s coming, you know that he knows what he’s doing. That is what is most important. He was able to guide Lagos from where it was to where he left it. So I’m sure that the situation in Nigeria might not have been as even bad as it was.
“The problem is that Nigeria is more complex than the state because of the fact that not all of us have the same notion about what we want in Nigeria. But nonetheless, the states have more money than we had when we were governors and they are able to meet their commitments than what we are doing as a government.”
Oba Ladoja also revealed that he used the occasion to convey the appreciation of Ibadan people to the president for attending the coronation of the 44th Olubadan and over recent developments in the country.
“Since On 26th of September, I have been trying to come and thank him for finding the time to come to my coronation, So this is an opportunity for me to come and thank him and to tell him that we are very happy with what is happening in the country.”
The monarch noted that there is growing satisfaction with the direction of national affairs.