Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has reaffirmed his commitment to securing constitutional roles for traditional rulers in the country.
Kalu stated this while hosting a delegation of traditional rulers from Ila/Boluwaduro/Ifedayo Federal Constituency of Osun, led by Oba Adedokun Abolarin, in Abuja yesterday.
The News Agency of Nigeria ,NAN, reports that the royal fathers were at the National Assembly to submit proposal for the creation of Igbomina State in the South-West.
Addressing the delegation, Kalu who doubles as the House Committee Chairman on Constitution Review, commended the traditional institution for its significant contributions to the country’s unity.
He said that the traditional institution should be accorded roles in the on-going constitutional amendment process.
“Let me start by commending the traditional rulers for the work they are doing so that there can be cohesion, unity and peace across the country.
“My colleagues, my office and myself commend the hard work that you always put in to make sure that we do not have community crisis.
“We do not have lack of peace and that is the reason some of us are pushing for some sort of recognition for the traditional rulers in the Constitution 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.
“And I want to thank you for governing your people; thank you for keeping our homes safe; thank you for keeping our culture, our identity that define us as a people”, he said.
Speaking on the proposal for the creation of Igbomina state, Kalu commended the delegation for their belief that dividends of democracy would trickle down better to the grassroots if the state was created.
He, however, urged them to ensure that they fulfilled all the provisions of the constitution in terms of documenting all that would be required for state creation.
He assured the traditional rulers that if this was done, the matter would be taken to the next level.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation commended the deputy speaker for the work he was doing through the Constitution Review Committee.
Oba Abolarin said that notable personalities from part of Osun, Kwara and Ekiti states had been agitating for the creation of Igbomina state.
He said that the area had the necessary ingredients to become a state, assuring that they were going to fulfill all the necessary conditions.
“We have come today to present our proposal for Igbomina state. Notable personalities that represent part of Osun, Kwara and Ekiti states have come together with the consent of our leader, Chief Bisi Akande, that it is high time we had a state of our own.
“All the necessary ingredients of becoming a state, we are going to fulfill them.
“We pray that if we have that state, we are going to be far ahead. That is the beauty of democracy and federalism”, the traditional ruler said.
