₦airaland Forum

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has lamented the selection processes of traditional rulers in the country, saying that criminals, drug addicts, vagabonds, bandits, and kidnappers have infiltrated royal institutions.

The former president said the rapid proliferation of traditional rulers, many of whom lack the required training and moral standing, has led to the deterioration of traditional institutions in the country.

Obasanjo, who stated this in one of his newly released book, Nigeria: Past and Future, which was unveiled last week, bemoaned the abandonment of the traditional training and apprenticeship system that once upheld the dignity of royal offices, stressing that this neglect has contributed significantly to Nigeria’s socio-political challenges.

He said, “Today, there are criminals, drug addicts, vagabonds, bandits and kidnappers as so-called traditional rulers.”

He noted that instead of being custodians of culture and justice, some traditional rulers have engaged in disgraceful acts that further damage the country’s fragile system.

He cited the example of a monarch involved in electoral malpractice.

“This is a great pity, and it has greatly contributed to the problems of Nigeria by traditional rulers. How do we account for a traditional ruler snatching a ballot box at an election polling station and running away with it?” he queried.

Obasanjo reflected on the past, when traditional rulers commanded honor and respect, particularly during the colonial and early post-independence periods, saying that such standards have now been lost.

“The class of traditional rulers with their distinction, honour and dignity, as we knew them in the colonial days and early post-independence days, has been diluted and polluted.”

While calling for urgent reforms, the former president stressed the need to restore traditional leadership’s lost dignity and value in Nigeria.

He argued that traditional rulers should serve as key contributors to national development instead of being a burden.

“That dignity, aura and respect should be brought back and traditional rulers should be an asset to Nigeria’s development and greatness and not a liability,” he declared.

Obasanjo further emphasized the need for moral rejuvenation among traditional rulers, particularly those with deep historical significance.

He insisted that if properly repositioned, they could be crucial in achieving Nigeria’s long-term aspirations.

“There is a need for moral re-armament among the traditional rulers — the ancient and historic ones. And they can and should make meaningful contributions to the Nigeria of our dreams that will serve the purpose and interest of all.”

bea1234567:
thats the foreseeable future of nigeria Igboland.

and its also a norm in the land of the ritualistik waste

Agbegbaorogboye:
It's concerning really
This began to be the case when politicians started having influence over who becomes kings
This is because most of the politicians are also criminals and former criminals themselves
Like begets like

bea1234567:
i concur sir. especially in yoluba land where creminals are celebrated like the droglord

owobokiri:
If APC can make a Pablo Escobar the president, nothing else is spared..

iwaeda:
Nlfpmod, awon ajaungbale, oba onigbo, awo ti ko ni iran, drug peddlers and are destroying lives in Agarawu, Oju ina, Apatira. Many of them are not Indigenes, but from Ogun, Oyo, Odun, Kwara, Kogi, Ekiti, Ondo.

Richtaiwo:
If the whole of ipob miscreants can vote for a criminal who was caught pants down for transporting 250m of state fund to Lagos every week, then there is no hope for the online country.

owobokiri:
Children of a corrupt culture will always struggle to find something wrong with corrupt rulers..
You're a victim somewhat..., a victim of the corrupt culture that moulded your total outlook to life. So I don't know where to start to help you..

Richtaiwo:
You mean those children who wake their parents as if they a taking penalty kick or the bastards who sell their parents to play bet naija?