The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Benjamin Kalu, has reiterated his commitment to ensuring that traditional rulers are assigned constitutional roles.
Kalu stated this when he received the Royal Fathers in Ila/Boluwaduro/Ifedayo Federal constituency and some Southwest lawmakers led by His Royal Majesty Oba (Barr) Adedokun Omoniyi Abolarin, the Orangun of Okeila, who paid him a courtesy visit to submit their proposal for the creation of Igbomina state in the Southwest.
Addressing the delegation, the Deputy Speaker who doubles as the Chairman, House Committee on Constitution Review commended traditional institutions for their significant contributions to the nation’s unity, saying that they should be accorded roles in the ongoing constitutional amendment process.
Speaking on their proposal for creation of Igbomina state, Kalu commended the delegation for their believe that the dividends of democracy will trickle down better to the grassroots if a state is given to their people.
He however urged them to ensure that they fulfill all the provisions of the constitution in terms of documenting all that is required for state creation, assuring that if it’s done, it will be taken to the next level.
“My colleagues around the federal republic of Nigeria, my office and myself commend the hard work that you always put in making sure that we don’t have community crisis, we don’t have lack of peace and that’s the reason some of us are pushing for some sort of recognition for the traditional rulers in the Constitution the federal republic of Nigeria. We are still looking at it, and hoping we find a way to crack it so that it can get some recognition at the local government level, the State level, and the National level.
“As the custodians of our culture, if we are not respected, the values, our cultural values will be eroded by deviant behaviours. I like how you care for our communities. You believe that the dividends of democracy will trickle down better to the grassroots if a state is given to the people who are homogeneous in culture. It is like they said, there are constitutional rights to demand that. Our journey is to help streamline the process of making it happen, the call is for the House to approve and then for the President to accept,” the Deputy Speaker said.
Earlier, His Royal Majesty, Oba (Barr) Adedokun Omoniyi Abolarin, and member representing Ila/Boluwaduro/Ifedayo Federal constituency, Clement Akanni in their separate remarks commended the Deputy Speaker for the work he’s doing in the constitution review committee.
They informed him that notable personalities who represent part of Osun, Kwara, and Ekiti states are agitating for Igbomina state.
“We’ve come today to present our proposal for Igbomina state. And the notable personalities that represent part of Osun State, Kwara, and Ekiti State here today are his royal majesties. These three states are agitating for Igbomina state. We’ve come together with the consent of our leader, Chief Bisi Akande, that it is high time to have a state of our own. All the necessary ingredients of becoming a state, we are going to fulfill those conditions. We pray that if we have that state, we are going to be far ahead. That’s the beauty of democracy and federalism,” they said.
Comments are closed.