President Bola Tinubu has enlisted the support of traditional rulers to engage with Nigerian youths in light of their forthcoming protests against economic hardship scheduled for August.
This was revealed after a meeting between the President and the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) at the State House on Thursday.
Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife and Co-Chairman of the NCTRN, addressed State House correspondents after the meeting, emphasizing the importance of dialogue between the government and the youth. Oba Ogunwusi revealed that the Federal Executive Council had briefed the traditional rulers on the government’s plans, achievements, and challenges.
“As you know, we are closer to the people and know where they are having challenges. So, there is a proper bridging and closing of governance gaps between the governed and the people that are in charge of government,” he said.
While acknowledging the citizens’ right to protest, the Ooni called for accountability and caution, saying, “It’s their civic right, but let them put a face to it and don’t let it be hijacked by people that have ulterior motives. That is our stand.”
The traditional rulers pledged to return to their communities and continue engaging with the youth to discourage any actions that could lead to destruction or breakdown of law and order.
“We are parents, we are traditional rulers, we are closer to them, we are going to go back home to continue to engage them. It is very difficult to build, but it is the easiest to destroy. We are all stakeholders of this country, we should be stronger as a nation together, than stronger individually. The President has said it and he will continue to say it, any leader that you don’t like, wait and vote him out. He is open to dialogue. We know that, but are we going to destroy our nation by ourselves? Is that what we’re all after? We should talk to ourselves. The government, ably led by the President, is willing to engage and dialogue and bring governance very close to the people,” he said.
Benjamin Keagborekuzi, the Dein of Agbor, in his remarks, added that the government’s focus is on youth as the future of the nation. He appealed to young Nigerians, saying, “We feel your pain, I’m a young person myself. It’s been 24 years I’ve been back and it’s been 24 years that I’ve started seeing the nation going in a very unpalatable direction. Let us not destroy our own country. I’ll ask you, think of Libya. Libya was a beautiful country, what has happened to Libya, we don’t want it to happen here. Let’s go home, let’s continue to strive for the best that we can and continue to work with the government to see if we can proffer some solutions.”
Igwe Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu, Chairman of the South East Traditional Rulers Council, commended President Tinubu’s passion for addressing youth concerns amidst the current economic challenges. He outlined several government initiatives aimed at alleviating hardships, including plans for a new minimum wage, food distribution programmes, and enhanced local government autonomy.
“In particular, the signing into law the South-East Development Commission Bill is a demonstration of the willingness of the President to bring development to the zone and other parts of the country. We acknowledge that the passage of this bill is only the beginning. We pledge our continued support and collaboration in implementing the goals and aspirations enshrined in the South East Development Council Bill,” Asadu said.
The delegation of royal fathers at the meeting included the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III.
