NGF Moves to Integrate Traditional Rulers Into Governance System
...Inaugurates Consultative Committee
By Verlumun Ugah
The Northern Governors Forum, NGF, Thursday inaugurated a Consultative Committee with a view to integrating traditional institution into the country’s cotemporary governance system.
Chairman of the forum and Governor of Plateau state, Mr. Simon Bako Lalong, while inaugurating the committee in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa state, noted that traditional institution plays a significant role in the governance of the country hence the need to accord it constitutional roles.
He maintained that the traditional rulers were doing a great job in maintaining security, mobilisation of the people and ensuring peaceful coexistence within their domains.
The NGF chairman explained that inauguration of the committee was in line with the resolutions reached during the last engagement of the Northern Governors Forum early this month in Kaduna, adding that the meeting appreciated the role played by the traditional rulers in containing the menace of ENDSARS protests in the north.
“Traditional Rulers still command a high degree of available y in the eyes of the people. As such, there remains the need to integrate the institution into the country’s contemporary governance system”.
According to him, assigning constitutional roles to the traditional institutions will not only be that they were closest to the grassroots but also because they were permanent feature of the country’s body polity.
Lalong tasked the committee to ensure review of available reports earlier submitted by various committees, panels and commissions on roles of traditional rulers in governance architecture and advised the forum appropriately.
Other terms of reference of the committee included the proposal of defined roles for traditional rulers, particularly in governance architecture of the northern states of the country, among others.
Responding, chairman of the committee and Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage (Rtd) appreciated the forum finding him worthy of the assignment and assured of the his readiness and that of other members of the committee to justify the confidence reposed in them.
