The Senate President says the exclusion of the traditional institutions in the governance and security architecture of the country is responsible for the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria.
By Press Release
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has said that certain gaps in the 1999 Constitution created by the exclusion of traditional institutions in the governance and security architecture of the country remains largely responsible for the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria.

Lawan made the disclosure on Thursday when delivering a speech to declare open a meeting between the Senator Ovie Omo-Agege-led Constitution Review Committee and the National Council of Traditional Rulers in Abuja.

According to Lawan, the worsening activities of insurgents, bandits and criminals have placed Nigeria in a dire situation that demands an urgent review of the 1999 Constitution along the lines of reorganizing the structure of governance to give specific roles to traditional rulers in various communities, as well as the incorporation of traditional institutions as part of the security architecture of the country.

The Senate President while advocating for roles for traditional rulers in the constitution, also underscored the need for specific functions for traditional institutions in guaranteeing the safety of lives and properties within their various jurisdictions.

He said: “I’m here to show the commitment of the National Assembly in its entirety, to listening and supporting our royal fathers on the Constitutional Review currently going on, and in what many of us believe that is the right thing; that we have our royal fathers properly and formally given some roles in the governance structure or the administration of our country.

“The pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial history of our royal fathers give us indication of how important our traditional institution was in those days.

“In fact, at the risk of going into some avoidable history, in 1947 the British created a single traditional institution for the Tivs by creating the title of Tor Tiv. This was because they knew that the traditional institutions were playing very critical and crucial roles in running the affairs of those they governed.

“Probably, the 1979 constitution had envisaged specific functions for the traditional institutions, but I think we missed it after that, and maybe the 1999 Constitution did not take account of certain things that could have been helpful.

“Maybe before the 1976 local government reforms, the traditional institutions might have played some roles in ensuring that our communities were secured and safe.


“So, what do we need to do to bring our country into a safer climate and more secured life for our people and their property?

“I believe that we need to take a holistic assessment of our situation. Every community, every people makes law for itself to specifically deal with some challenges, and you don’t have to copy what works elsewhere, because your history may be different. So, we have a very peculiar history when it comes to our traditional institutions playing some roles in the affairs of our people.

“This is an opportunity for our traditional institutions to ask for specific roles, but our desire as a National Assembly is to undertake this Constitutional Review because it is part of a very important legislative agenda, and also our desire to continuously work as a Legislature with the Executive arm of government to create a safer and more secured Nigeria.


The Senate President, who recalled the critical role played by traditional institutions in security arrangements in the country before 1976, stressed that the current security architecture should not be limited to the armed forces, police and other paramilitary organizations alone.

“If our traditional institutions would be part of our security architecture, so be it. Actually, what we need is to secure the lives and properties of our people. How do we achieve that? This is where the meeting of today, between our Constitution Review Committee headed by the Deputy President of the Senate, and the National Council of Traditional Rulers would be very critical.

“I’m sure most if not all members of the National Assembly, would like to see a situation where our security architecture is not limited to our armed forces, the police and paramilitary alone.

“You have played a very significant and important role before in the security arrangement of our communities. Though our communities have transformed, I’m sure that our traditional institutions have also transformed and, therefore, we can get the kind of benefit and value that the traditional institutions can bring to bear in our security arrangement and, of course, in the administration of the country in a non-executive function”, Lawan said.

In his presentation of a memorandum by the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria signed by the Chairman, His Eminence, Alh Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and the Co-Chair, His Royal Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, Ooni of Ife to the Constitution Review Committee, the Etsu Nupe, His Royal Highness, Alhaji (Dr.) Yahaya Abubakar recalled that the Nigerian First Republic Regional Governments had bi-cameral Legislative arrangement with the Houses of Chiefs serving as the Upper chambers to those of the elected Houses of Assemblies.


“The society was at that time progressive, peaceful, decent and full of beautiful traditions and cultures. Lives and properties were sacrosanct and accountability and honesty were the hallmarks of the traditional local Administrations,” he said.

According to him, “General Ironsi 1966 Unitary Government Decree, General Gowon’s and General Obasanjo’s 1967 and 1976 Local Government Reform Decrees respectively stripped Traditional Rules of their powers and gave same to the local government council thereby giving birth to the present insecurity and corruption, Constitutionally and protocol wise, traditional Rulers are relegated to the background.”

The Etsu Nupe lamented that under the present arrangement, “Traditional Rulers do not have the Constitutional or other legal backing to perform effectively as they are not even mentioned in the 1999 Constitution.”

“This is a great departure from all earlier Constitutions that recognised them and even gave them some functions to perform.

“Indeed, all Nigeria’s earlier Constitutions gave the Chairmen of the States Councils of Chiefs seats in the National Council of State alongside former Presidents, Chief Justices, etc. For example, this is clearly provided for under Section 140 (l) and under Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1979 Constitution,” he added.

The traditional ruler, however, emphasized that “no Community or Nation would thrive successfully without due consideration of its historical evolution, customs, values and beliefs, adding that, “the Nigerian Nation evolved from the amalgamation of several Empires, Kingdoms, Caliphates, Chiefdoms and autonomous communities.”

“Undermining the Traditional Institution through unsavoury politically motivated actions will reduce the respect accorded it by the citizenry.

“This will translate into its ineffectiveness in performing its roles. It will also affect its capacity to mobilize the people towards governments programmes and projects and in managing communal, ethnic and religious conflicts and crisis.

“This will certainly not augur well for the envisaged peace, progress and wellbeing of the Nation and its people as the government will lose a respected willing partner in these regards, he warned.

The Etsu Nupe while calling on the National Assembly to intervene in safeguarding the sanctity of the Traditional Institution by ensuring its insulation from politically motivated actions that run foul of the well-established traditional settings, advised that Traditional Rulers should be accorded specific responsibilities for conflict and security management in their domains.

He added that, “Nigeria needs to explore all available means of conflict resolution, intelligence gathering and containment of insecurities that will complement the conventional security outfits.”


On his part, the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, who chairs the Constitution Review Committee, said, “what you’re seeking here today, is the reinstatement of the Council of Traditional Rulers that we had in all of our previous Constitutions which was omitted in the 1999 Constitution. The question becomes, why was there that omission?”

“With respect to this request, it shouldn’t be very demanding because we all come constituencies and we are all your subjects.

“At a time like this when we have so much insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West and most of the North-Central, the same challenges we also have in the South-South, South-East and South-West; with religious tension everywhere, if His Royal Highness said that in Colonial and Pre-Colonial and Post-Colonial times, that there was need to maintain the status of traditional institutions to help us preserve peace, now is even more apt today than it was.

“We don’t need to convince people too much about this, we just need to work out the structures here at the national level which we have already activated in your presentations and the structures at the state level,” Omo-Agege added.

Signed:

Ezrel TABIOWO, MBSC, Fsca
Special Assistant (Press)
to President of the Senate

Thursday, 11th March, 2021
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/448272-how-gaps-in-constitution-fester-insecurity-lawan.html

What we need is a complete overhaul of this useless military constitution and a new people's constitution that addresses our uniqueness as a country, the present realities of our statehood and a renegotiation of our union.

But you guys were elected to fix the lacuna in the constitution

Or does it mean the rubber stamping eish is really true?

Interesting

Oga do your job and stop the lamentation

The ball is before you guys as we keep on watching.

State police, Community police is the solution. Mynd44

they won't deliberate it in the house,he'd rather say it on media

So even the traditional leaders are the services chiefs that should do the job of the security agencies? Instead of this buffon rubberstamp senate president to pile pressure on the failed president to carry out his constitutional responsibilities, here is he blaming non-involvement of traditional rulers by government.

Lanretoye:
they won't deliberate it in the house,he'd rather say it on media

dont mind them lalasticlala

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has received in audience the National Council of Traditional Rulers at the State House in Abuja on Thursday.

Whatever will move our nation forward and bring lasting peace us all we are after @[/b].

God bless our darling Daddy President Muhammadu Buhari and his amiable Vice president Prof Yemi Osinbajo as they move our nation forward.

[b]God bless Nigeria.
Our Traditional Rulers should take this security issue more seriously in their various domain.... with all due respect.

We hope the below meeting of yesterday at Aso Rock will bring a new dawn.

issorite

If you are in doubt, watch these videos:

https://www.facebook.com/472490216216783/posts/2164780283654426/?app=fbl

https://www.facebook.com/278017116282754/posts/902304263854033/?app=fbl

Traditional rulers have gone to take their own share of the national cake, if there is still any??


if you believe they are discussing the way forward of this country, you lied.

They all know what's happening, and they don't foking care.

you know why? their children and some of their siblings will never be kidnapped victims, because they don't live here.

*BOMBSHELL*

*NUHU RIBADU, FORMER EFCC BOSS,*

*WROTE-*

*Bandits”” were created by Gen* *Mohammadu Buhari Rtd to oust Jonathan*
*Bandits are not Boko Haram nor Herdsmen*

It all started in April 2014 when Mohammadu Buhari assembled his ardent supporters, promoters and strategists to determine how to remove President Jonathan Goodluck. Prominent amongst them were El-Rufai, Gen Danbazo (Rtd)……..

A decision was reached to consult Miyatti Allah cattle breeders association for assistance to boot Jonathan Goodluck out of office. Consequently, the National Chairman of Miyatti Allah was engaged to bring in foreign mercenaries. Within a month, 2,000 Fulani fighters were brought in from Mali, Senegal, Niger Republic, Chad, Libya to name but a few. Further 4,000 fighters were stationed in Niger and Chad on standby.

On arrival, they were assembled in Kaduna under the sponsorship of El Rufai and were addressed by various Northern Leaders including the Sultan of Sokoto, Gen. Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar (Rtd) etc.

Specifically, Gen Buhari in his address told the fighters that “the British handed Nigeria over to us the Fulanis at independence. The land (Nigeria) belongs to us. We must reclaim what belongs to us.”He added that at the event that Jonathan Goodluck worn the election, the Fulani machinery must fight until they regain control of the country. He assured them that the Nigerian Army was behind them.

The mercenaries received initial training from the Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy and were sent to 6 camps in Ekiti State, Benue State, Katsina State, Kaduna State, Zamfara State and Borno State.

In the camps, brand new pick-up trucks, generators etc were provided them. Nigerian Airforce helicopters were used to provide them essential supplies like food, water, drinks and even arms and ammunitions.

Evidently, Jonathan Goodluck lost the election in 2015 through a well orchestrated election organised by INEC under a Fulani Chairman, Professor Jega. Gen Buhari (Rtd) was sworn in as the president. This saw the emergence of a Fulani president through a dodgy election hence the planned violent war was averted.

Contrary to expectation, the mercenaries in the various camps were abandoned, no more food and essential supplies. The relationship between Miyatti Allah, El Rufai (now a State Governor) and Dambazo broke down. El Rufai arrogantly declared that they were not needed anymore and they should go back. Consequently, the killings in Kaduna commenced as a warning to El Rufai but it did not bother him. He declared that he had paid the people carrying out the killings and they did not want to stop. The Nigerian police did not bother to call Gov El Rufai to give further clarification on this.

The Mercenary at the various camps decided to go about to find food for themselves by robbing people, going into farm lands and kidnapping. Miyatti Allah made several efforts to contact El Rufai and Dambazzo to appeal to them to provide money to return these fighters to where they came from. All efforts proved abortive. The mercenaries at this point vacated their organised camps and took to crime.

The criminal gangs which emanated from these mercenaries were at this point described as “Bandits” in order to differentiate them from other notorious terrorist groups like Fulani Herdsmen, Boko Haram etc.

Following the untold destruction and killings which the Bandits carried out especially in Katsina and Zamfara, the Northern leaders in conjunction with officials of Nigerian Government requested Miyatti Allah to intervene and remove the Bandits from Nigeria. Miyatti Allah returned demanding 150 Billion Naira to settle the Bandits and evacuate them. The Government turned the offer down and restricted itself to the payment of 100 Billion Naira.

Shamefully Godwin Emefiele raised 100 Billion Naira for the settlement as a condition for his re-appointment as the Central bank Governor.

Miyatti Allah collected the money and purportedly distributed it but nothing changed.

In a bid to control the damage, President Buhari directed that RUGA initiative be setup to create colonies for these fighters in every state in Nigeria.

My questions are:
1. Should Nigerian communities accommodate these criminal elements?
2. Why has El Rufai not been called to clean up the mess he created?
3. Does this explain the President Buhari’s silence?
4.Is this conspiracy of the North gone wrong?
Nigerians think for yourselves?

*Written by*
*DSP Nuhu Ribadu*

Sent as copied.

Noted

What gaps?

Man made laws do not and cannot have power over the man because it is ALWAYS less than the man.

Therefore, like a phone, it is ALWAYS POWERLESS, DISPENSABLE AND DISCARDABLE!

Constitution and all man-made laws are Weak Useless Things!

Natural Law is what is Greater than All Men and that Powerfully Compelled All Men to Do The Right!

Unnecessary excuses. No political will to stop the issue if insecurity.

another rubbish

They've ran out of things to blame now they want to blame the constitution hahahahaha

Microfels:
What we need is a complete overhaul of this useless military constitution and a new people's constitution that addresses our uniqueness as a country, the present realities of our statehood and a renegotiation of our union.

God bless you

Mtcheew

So na we the ordinary and common men go fill the gaps for Una?

we need completely new constitution

But that constitution supervised by northern military dictators without any referendum guarantees northern politicians to have a stranglehold on Nigeria.

You can’t eat your cake and have it.


The constitution must be dumped for a new constitution by the people with referendum before you start to have peace.

Oga, just admit u and ur fellow morons have failed Nigerians! U dey there dey blow English. English kee u there!!

We go soon change that thing





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Evii:
*BOMBSHELL*

*NUHU RIBADU, FORMER EFCC BOSS,*

*WROTE-*

*Bandits”” were created by Gen* *Mohammadu Buhari Rtd to oust Jonathan*
*Bandits are not Boko Haram nor Herdsmen*

It all started in April 2014 when Mohammadu Buhari assembled his ardent supporters, promoters and strategists to determine how to remove President Jonathan Goodluck. Prominent amongst them were El-Rufai, Gen Danbazo (Rtd)……..

A decision was reached to consult Miyatti Allah cattle breeders association for assistance to boot Jonathan Goodluck out of office. Consequently, the National Chairman of Miyatti Allah was engaged to bring in foreign mercenaries. Within a month, 2,000 Fulani fighters were brought in from Mali, Senegal, Niger Republic, Chad, Libya to name but a few. Further 4,000 fighters were stationed in Niger and Chad on standby.

On arrival, they were assembled in Kaduna under the sponsorship of El Rufai and were addressed by various Northern Leaders including the Sultan of Sokoto, Gen. Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar (Rtd) etc.

Specifically, Gen Buhari in his address told the fighters that “the British handed Nigeria over to us the Fulanis at independence. The land (Nigeria) belongs to us. We must reclaim what belongs to us.”He added that at the event that Jonathan Goodluck worn the election, the Fulani machinery must fight until they regain control of the country. He assured them that the Nigerian Army was behind them.

The mercenaries received initial training from the Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy and were sent to 6 camps in Ekiti State, Benue State, Katsina State, Kaduna State, Zamfara State and Borno State.

In the camps, brand new pick-up trucks, generators etc were provided them. Nigerian Airforce helicopters were used to provide them essential supplies like food, water, drinks and even arms and ammunitions.

Evidently, Jonathan Goodluck lost the election in 2015 through a well orchestrated election organised by INEC under a Fulani Chairman, Professor Jega. Gen Buhari (Rtd) was sworn in as the president. This saw the emergence of a Fulani president through a dodgy election hence the planned violent war was averted.

Contrary to expectation, the mercenaries in the various camps were abandoned, no more food and essential supplies. The relationship between Miyatti Allah, El Rufai (now a State Governor) and Dambazo broke down. El Rufai arrogantly declared that they were not needed anymore and they should go back. Consequently, the killings in Kaduna commenced as a warning to El Rufai but it did not bother him. He declared that he had paid the people carrying out the killings and they did not want to stop. The Nigerian police did not bother to call Gov El Rufai to give further clarification on this.

The Mercenary at the various camps decided to go about to find food for themselves by robbing people, going into farm lands and kidnapping. Miyatti Allah made several efforts to contact El Rufai and Dambazzo to appeal to them to provide money to return these fighters to where they came from. All efforts proved abortive. The mercenaries at this point vacated their organised camps and took to crime.

The criminal gangs which emanated from these mercenaries were at this point described as “Bandits” in order to differentiate them from other notorious terrorist groups like Fulani Herdsmen, Boko Haram etc.

Following the untold destruction and killings which the Bandits carried out especially in Katsina and Zamfara, the Northern leaders in conjunction with officials of Nigerian Government requested Miyatti Allah to intervene and remove the Bandits from Nigeria. Miyatti Allah returned demanding 150 Billion Naira to settle the Bandits and evacuate them. The Government turned the offer down and restricted itself to the payment of 100 Billion Naira.

Shamefully Godwin Emefiele raised 100 Billion Naira for the settlement as a condition for his re-appointment as the Central bank Governor.

Miyatti Allah collected the money and purportedly distributed it but nothing changed.

In a bid to control the damage, President Buhari directed that RUGA initiative be setup to create colonies for these fighters in every state in Nigeria.

My questions are:
1. Should Nigerian communities accommodate these criminal elements?
2. Why has El Rufai not been called to clean up the mess he created?
3. Does this explain the President Buhari’s silence?
4.Is this conspiracy of the North gone wrong?
Nigerians think for yourselves?

*Written by*
*DSP Nuhu Ribadu*

Sent as copied.

Ordinarily, I would have discarded your essay as a fabrication or figment of your imagination because of few contradictory statements, but there are some facts and secrets that I know which are all included in this your submission, this made me to believe this your document is very authentic.

Let me add something, the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria planned to implement Sharia in four South West States. They are also against zoning of Presidency, they want the Presidency to remain in the North. AMOTEKUN and the likes of Akeredolu and Makinde can never allow Sharia implementation in South West a success. The strategy of Sharia council cannot work. Now, there is a confusion.