The Director-General, Centre for Management Development (CMD), Lagos, Dr. Kabir Usman, in his goodwill message, stated that traditional rulers were leaders who were not only appointed but anointed by God and they must be respected as such.
Dr. Usman, who stated this at the 2nd National Conference on “Culture, Peace and National Security: The Role of Traditional Rulers in Nigeria’s Democracy,” organized by National Institute For Cultural Orientation (NICO) in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) from 26th – 27th May, 2014, at the Banquet Hall, Arewa House, Kaduna, Kaduna State, noted that the issue of culture, peace and national security was the only thing that can give Nigeria an identity as a nation, saying, “in unity we stand but divided we fall.”
According to him, the conference has achieved national integration as exemplified by the collaboration with UNESCO and partnerships through the able leadership of NICO’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, who has succeeded in bringing all the other agencies of government together to sing the same song of culture, politics and democracy, ethics, values, norms, traditions and morality, stressing that it was what brings about integration, peace and tranquillity.
He observed that there was a paradigm shift in the country where the South was beefing the North and the West was beefing the East, and it leaves us with no other option than to engage in value orientations that would bring us knowledge, tolerance, wisdom, respect and integrity.
The CMD boss concluded that Nigeria can only attain improved economic growth and development only if we were united as a nation, stating that with respect to diversity, anything could be achieved in Nigeria and that only peace could be used to achieve that.
On his part, the Director-General, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Joseph Golwa said what Nigeria needs in the polity was consistent education and sensitization that will bring back respect to the country’s cherished traditions. He was of the belief that traditional rulers stand a better chance to work toward addressing the problem of insecurity in the country.
Golwa who commended the conference initiative, saying it could not have come at a better time than now, considering the fact that the issues lined up for discussion would in no small measure consider the role of traditional rulers as a special group of people whose role in the society has been recognized and appreciated from time immemorial, lamented that people were living in a society today where traditional institutions were no longer respected and the values and ethics no longer upheld.
His words: “Today traditional rulers are equally victims of insecurity. For the first time, we are having traditional rulers been attacked by insurgents which has never been before in our history. Today, we have the same people that are equally victims of this insecurity and the issue of giving them greater opportunity to discuss and be involved in how they can bring peace. I therefore consider this a very wonderful moment.”
He however prayed that the conference should come out with resolutions that will be a strong source of encouragement to the traditional institutions to play their role effectively.
© Nico News