News
Constitutional Review: Lawan Solicits Role For Monarchs In Governance
President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, has identified the exclusion of the traditional rulers in governance and security architecture of the nation as one loophole in the 1999 Constitution which had largely aided the growth in Nigeria’s security challenges.
In same vein the National Council of Traditional Rulers in Nigeria (NCTRN) have described the neglect of the traditional rulers in governance as a disrespect to the nations roots capable of creating dangerous gaps, misunderstandings and avoidable conflicts between the grassroots and the government.
Lawan made the disclosure, yesterday, in his speech as he declared open a meeting between the Constitution Review Committee of the Senate chaired by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege-led and the National Council of Traditional Rulers in Abuja.
The Senate President, in his remarks, called for roles for traditional rulers in the Constitution linked to specific functions for them in guaranteeing the safety of lives and properties within their various jurisdictions.
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.
Lawan 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 gives 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 noted 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”, Lawan said.
Presenting a memorandum of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria signed by the Chairman and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar; and the Co-Chair and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, to the Constitution Review Committee, the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji 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 the Nigerian 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 government 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 afoul 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.”
The Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, and Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, in his speech, raised questions on why the institution was expunged in the Constitution in the first place, if it had fostered peaceful coexistence and safety of lives and property.
His words, “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.
The NCTRN was represented by traditional rulers drawn from the six geopolitical zones of the country.
By: Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja
The United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, arrived in Nigeria yesterday on his first official visit to Africa, underscoring a renewed emphasis on economic collaboration and growth-centered diplomacy between the UK and African nations.
His visit marks the beginning of a five-month consultation aimed at reshaping UK-Africa relations to prioritise African voices and ambitions across the continent.
This was contained in a statement signed and released by the Senior Press and Public Affairs Officer, British Deputy High Commission in Lagos, Ndidiamaka Eze, on Sunday.
In Nigeria, Lammy will advocate for deeper trade and investment ties, supporting what he described as a fresh, respectful approach that builds “long-term growth rather than short-term solutions.”
Lammy stressed Africa’s significant potential, noting that by 2050, it is set to account for a quarter of the world’s population.
His goal is to build relationships where “the UK and our friends and partners in Africa can grow together.”
“Africa has huge growth potential, with the continent on track to make up 25 per cent of the world’s population by 2050.
“Our new approach will deliver respectful partnerships that listen rather than tell, deliver long-term growth rather than short-term solutions, and build a freer, safer, more prosperous continent.
“Growth is the core mission of this government and will underpin our relationships in Nigeria and beyond. This will mean more jobs, more prosperity, and more opportunities for Brits and Africans alike,” the statement read.
The visit came as part of a broader strategy to elevate UK engagement in Africa, with Lammy scheduled to meet with President Bola Tinubu, Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar, and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
His agenda includes furthering the UK-Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership, which was signed earlier this year to expand trade and market access between the two countries.
The partnership aimed to boost economic opportunities, fostering jobs, and prosperity for both British and Nigerian citizens.
As part of his commitment to supporting Nigeria’s economic reforms, Lammy will introduce a technical assistance package designed to support the Nigerian Ministry of Finance.
The House of Representatives Committee on Renewable Energy has invited stakeholders to an investigative hearing on the $2bn renewable energy grants and investments in Nigeria.
According to the Committee, the investment has not had a proportional impact on the nation’s energy security challenges.
In July 2024, President Bola Tinubu disclosed at the Africa Natural Resource and Energy Investment Summit in Nigeria that the nation had attracted over $2bn of investment in the sector in the past decade.
“Over the past decade, Nigeria has attracted over $2bn in investment in the renewable energy sector, making it a fast-growing part of the economy. Our commitment is to continue on this path and attract more private sector involvement in the renewable energy space, including manufacturing locally produced solar panels and batteries.
“By encouraging local production of equipment, we can reduce implementation costs, thereby lowering the threshold for electrification,” the President was quoted as saying.
Scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, 5 and 6 November 2024, the investigative hearing follows the mandate given to the Committee on 6 June 2024 to investigate Ministries, Departments, and Agencies involved in investments, procurement, and receipt of grants for renewable energy sector development.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Committee Chairman, Victor Ogene, in Abuja, the probe will cover the period from 2015 to 2024.
The lawmaker said the House was shocked that “Despite the government attracting over $2bn in renewable energy investments in the past decade, as reported by the Rural Electrification Agency in 2023, there has been no noticeable improvement in the sector.
“The House of Representatives was alarmed that the dysfunctional electricity generation and supply system persists, contrary to the objectives behind government investments and grants aimed at developing the renewable energy sector. Hence, the resolution to probe these investments to determine the integrity of the procurement and execution processes.”
He noted that the probe is not a witch-hunt but an exercise to discourage shady dealings and promote transparency and objectivity in managing government or public resources.
The House’s resolutions followed the adoption of a motion titled “Need to Investigate Investments in the Renewable Energy Sector and Foreign Grants Received from 2015 Till Date,” sponsored by the lawmaker representing Oshodi-Isolo II Federal Constituency, Lagos State, Mr Okey-Joe Onuakalusi.
Leading the debate, the lawmaker said the parliament was aware that poor electricity generation, transmission, and distribution pose a significant threat to the nation’s industrial and technological development goals.
According to the lawmakers, successive governments since 2015 have made substantial investments and attracted multimillion-dollar foreign grants for Nigeria’s renewable energy subsector to create a viable and sustainable alternative energy supply.
They noted that in December 2023, the World Bank approved a $750m facility to boost renewable energy in Nigeria, aiming to provide over 17.5 million Nigerians with improved access to electricity through distributed renewable energy solutions.
They also noted that in 2020, the Federal Government launched a $200m renewable energy project, the ‘Nigeria Electrification Project,’ targeted at providing off-grid energy to over 500,000 people across 105,000 households in rural communities, funded by the African Development Bank.
Agencies invited to the public hearing include, but are not limited to, the Rural Electrification Agency, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
Also invited are the Country Representative of the European Union, Union Bank Plc (Compliance Department), Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Federal Ministry of Power, Energy Commission of Nigeria, and Federal Ministry of Finance.
Other invited entities include the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Federal Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management, Federal Ministry of Petroleum (Gas Resources), Niger Delta Development Commission, United States Agency for International Development, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Accountant General of the Federation, and Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Associations, among others.
Rosicrucian Order, English Grand Lodge for West Africa, has urged Rosicrucians all over the world to contribute their quota towards the political and economic development of their countries.
The Order, which gave the task at the AMORC Convention, Port Harcourt 2024, also called on them to remain exemplary in their conducts.
It charged them to radiate love wherever they find themselves as the theme of the convention was “Universal Love.”
Declaring the convention open, the Imperator and President Supreme Grand Lodge (AMORC), Frater Claudio Mazzucco, urged members to ensure a better society for present and future generations.
He also described the convention as historic, and charged them to continue to radiate love to all humanity.
Meanwhile in his message, the Grand Master-designate, Eugenius Idiodi, urged the delegates to reflect on the theme of the convention.
“As we come together under the guiding theme of ‘universal love’ let us pause for a moment to reflect on the profound significance of this gathering and the journey that has brought us to this point”.
Idiodi also described members of the Order as “seeds of various kinds sown into the soil, each with the potentials to bloom into something unique and beautiful”.
“Yet no matter their individual forms, all these seeds share common nurturing light of the sun, the sustaining nourishment of the Earth and the gentle touch of water”, he added.
Grand Master-designate said each member of the Order is like a seed which has the potentials to blossom into its highest level.
In his words, “And just as the seeds in the garden depend on the forces of nature, we too require the nourishing power of universal love to flourish, not as individuals but as a global community bound by the sacred principles of the Rosicrucian tradition”.
Idiodi described the convention as a symbol of collective journey, stressing that members are on a journey towards deeper understanding, compassion and enlightenment.
The Chairman of Local Organising Committee, Edwin I. Obani, said the convention would mark the golden jubilee of the English West Africa Lodge and the installation of the Grand Master-designate, Frater Eugenius Idiodi.
Obani said the event would afford members from the different countries in West Africa to rekindle the love of universal love.
Later at a press conference, members of the Order, including the Imperator and President Supreme Grand Lodge, Claudio Mazzucco, Frater Kenneth Idiodi, Eugenius Idiodi, Lucy Crawford Sandison and Olabimpe Giwa, said love remains the only antidote to solving all societal problems.
They urged members of the society to show love not only to fellow humans but also to mother earth.
The convention marks the Golden Jubilee of the West African Lodge.
By: John Bibor
-
News1 day agoDangote Refinery Slashes Petrol Price To N970 Per Litre
-
Oil & Energy21 hours agoPH Refinery Yet To Commence Bulk Sales – NNPCL
-
News1 day ago
Edo Gov Resores Statutory Rights To Oba Of Benin
-
News21 hours agoTinubu Vows To Stabilise ECOWAS
-
Maritime22 hours agoMMS Customs Generates N144.2bn In 10 Months
-
News20 hours agoRosicrucians Prioritise Societal Dev
-
News1 day agoNigeria Saves $20bn From Subsidy Removal -FG
-
Oil & Energy21 hours agoTotalEnergies Plans $750m Gas Project In Nigeria