Leadership (Abuja)
Louis Achi
7 January 2009
analysis
Last weekend in Owa-Oyibu, Delta State, the Emir of Borgu Kingdom of Niger State, Alhaji Haliru Dantoro Kitoro (CON), canvassed constitutional role for traditional rulers in the country to be able to 'tap from the vast potential of the traditional institutions'.LOUIS ACHI examines the royals' continuing quest and writes that while the Emir's latest pitch is not novel or illegitimate, the royal fathers' historical role as guardians of tradition may potentially conflict with their constitutional inclusion in the current republican environment of a presidential democracy...
That his passionate appeal to the federal government came at the penumbra of another constitutional review project says something for the innate political sense and awareness of royal folks who are often not given such credit.
As it were, during a visit to the Obi of Owa, Dr. Emmanuel Efeizomor JP (OON), at Owa-Oyibu, the Emir of Borgu Kingdom in Niger State called on the federal government to end the the constitutional exclusion of traditional rulers in the national scheme of things. The royal father, who was on tour of the South-East zone of the country also condemned the recent Jos crisis, observing it would have been nipped in the bud if the government had given traditional rulers constitutional powers. The obviously miffed royal father decried the situation where monarchs were used as the last resort after government had exhausted all available means of checking crises.
Beyond the Emir of Borgu's latest campaign, one of the most articulate and boldest voices for the constitutional inclusion of the royals in recent times is the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammad Sa'ad Abubakar III. Perhaps, being a retired major-general of the Nigerian Army positions him to shoot from the hips. He demonstrated this knack recently. "It is not only when there are problems that we are consulted. I have made this point before and I will continue to make it and we all are going to make it until the National Assembly amends the constitution to involve traditional rulers in the affairs of this country because this country belongs to all of us." The enduring dilemma of the traditional rulers in the polity couldn't have been more succinctly captured.
As it were, the long-running quest by the nation's traditional rulers for a constitutional role in affairs of the state is a long, memorable one. Often seen as simultaneously straddling the past and the future, these enduring symbols and guardians of culture and tradition have been successively exploited by politicians - both civilians and military.
In 2007, President Umaru Yar'Adua gave a clear indication that end of the royals' wilderness years was around the corner. Addressing four top traditional rulers in the country comprising the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade; Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero; Emir of Zau Zau, Shehu Idris and Emir of Daura, Umar Farouk, at the State House, the president said he had "at various times pledged that we will find constitutional role for our traditional institutions and leaders when we undertake a review of the constitution. We shall propose and place again before the National Assembly as an amendment to provide for the National Council of Traditional Rulers.
"I want to place on record that the contributions you have been making can not be quantified and I want to assure you that as our royal fathers we shall continue in accord and provide you with the opportunity to make input into the enacting and evolution of good policies to improve the quality of governance." As it were, Yar'Adua's pledge while firmly hemmed in by the royals at Aso Rock is not novel.
It could be recalled that during his speech at the golden anniversary celebration of His Royal Majesty, Aliyu Mustapha, the Lamido of Adamawa, former President Olusegun Obasanjo hinted that the role of traditional rulers should be recognised in the constitution. Perhaps moved by the royal pomp and grandeur, he submitted that those who wished the demise of these venerable institutions should rethink their position, and further held that the royals had an important role to play in the social, economic and cultural lives of their people.
Notwithstanding the unseemly warts and pimples that are widely perceived to have blackened the face of Nigeria's traditional rulers against the background of their thinly disguised foray into real-politicks, advocates of constitutional roles for them believe they are still important in the nation's quest for political stability. Former head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan shores up this position when at a book launch he stated that Nigeria can only move forward if her cultural heritage forms the foundation of the nation's political system.
Without question, the switch from parliamentary to presidential constitution swept away many institutions, but certainly not the traditional institution. Even after the abrogation of the first parliamentary constitution in January 1966, the royals have continued in their role as guardians of culture and tradition of their communities. This scenario throws up several critical question.
What are the cultural roles the traditional rulers can not play without constitutional recognition? Must such roles be entrenched in the constitution for them to be relevant to the nation's life as Shonekan appears to suggest? A common consensus, though not one to put smiles on the royals' faces, is that they still can be relevant without any constitutional underpinning of their roles, especially given the fear that it could dangerously politicise the institution and position them as parallel executives, aberrations in the extant democratic milieu.
A Bit of History...
The practice of parliamentary system of government in the First Republic, made constitutional provisions for traditional rulers in the political affairs of the country. As it were, the parliamentary system which established Regional Houses of Chiefs, allowed the royals to participate in politics. It was not therefore surprising that the Regional Houses of Chiefs had royal folks like Sir Muhammadu Sanusi, Emir of Kano, Alhaji Usman Nagogo, Emir of Katsina, the Makama of Bida, and the Ooni of Ife, Sir Adesoji Aderemi. Following the crisis that broke in the old Western Region, which culminated in the declaration of a state of emergency in the region by the late Sir Tafawa Balewa-led Federal Government, many royal fathers took up political appointment in the emergency government headed by its Sole Administrator, Dr. Moses Majekodunmi.
Pivoting on the suspension of all members of the Western Region's government, Majekodunmi had named six royal fathers as commissioners whom he appointed to work with him. The Obas, named as commissioners, to assist the Sole Administrator in the running of the affairs of the State were: the Oba of Benin, Akenzua II, the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, the Osemawe of Ondo, Oba Rewogboye II, the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Akinyele, the Olu of Warri, Oba Erejuwa II and the Olu of Iwo, Oba S.O. Abimbola.
This marked the gradual but systematic involvement of traditional rulers in partisan politics. It is instructive to note that given the very turbulent and charged political atmosphere in the old Western Region, it would have been most appropriate if the Balewa's government after its declaration of a State of Emergency had insulated royal fathers from the political crossfire of the time.
But as some political analysts noted "the appointment of traditional rulers like Oba Akinzua II, Oba Sikiru Adetona Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Akinyele and Olu of Warri, Oba Erejuwa II as members of the Region's Executive Council as Commissioners, further enmeshed them in regional partisan politics, making them seemingly ineffective in the discharge of their primary role as custodians of culture and tradition."
Reforms...
Some four years ago, while receiving a visiting Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe to Aso Rock, ex-President Obasanjo observed that traditional rulers possessed the capacity to make themselves relevant in certain spheres of the nation's life, adding that giving constitutional roles to the royals would impact positively on the nation's development. Opposing views on the matter hold strongly that traditional rulers have become too politicised and might constitute parallel executive or legislative bodies which is out of synch with a modern presidential democracy.
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