Coronation Colloquium: Speakers Praise Emir Of Ilorin’s Leadership Qualities,  Seek Constitutional Role For Traditional Rulers

Speakers at  the  colloquium organized to mark the 27th Coronation anniversary of  the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari in Ilorin on Thursday emphasized the need to create a constitutional role for traditional rulers in the country.

At the event organized by the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in collaboration with the Ilorin Emirate Council, the speakers including academics, jurists and technocrats, also said the role played by traditional rulers  in maintaining security in their  respective domains should be recognized and strengthened .

They opined that  government  coming up with an arrangement that would  give traditional rulers a constitutional role  will  enable them  rescue the country from the worsening security situation. 

Team@orientactualmags.com learned Professor Ibrahim Jawondo, Engr. Yusuf Sagaya, a retired security chief, Alh Aliyu Otta-Othman, Justice Salihu Mohammed and Kwara NUJ chairman ,Ahmed AbdulLateef gave speeches at the event.

The Emir was represented at the event by the most senior high chief in  the Ilorin Emirate Council, the Balogun Gambari of Ilorin, Alh Aliyu Adebayo.

The guest lecturer, Prof Ibrahim Jawondo , a lecturer at the University of Ilorin , suggested  that  traditional rulers in the country  should be directly involved in the act of governance.

‘Experiences have shown that involvement of traditional rulers in act of governance will go a long way in solving some teething problems in Nigeria. Thus, it will be better if traditional rulers  are given a constitutional role rather than the fire-fighting and adhoc engagements given to them’  Jawondo said.

The university don also said that honorary titleholders should seek deeper meanings of the responsibilities  that come with their respective titles and act most appropriately, adding that doing this would ease things for the traditional rulers with regard to the running of affairs of  their domains.

‘The hereditary rulers need to do more in their supervisory roles at their territories to curb social vices which  have continued to be on the increase  day by day.  Greed resulting in injustice should be shunned to regain their lost glories. Kudus to the Emir who ruled that they must stay at their various posts’ he said.

Kwara state NUJ chairman , Mr Abdullateef Ahmed noted that people could not but celebrate the Emir of Ilorin because of the importance an average Ilorin indigene attaches  to his historical turbaning event also famously referred to as 11/11. 

He  added  that the emirate in the past 27 years had undergone different phases of development – physical and nonphysical. 

However, he asked indigenes of the state capital to collectively proffer solutions to  the teething problems of insecurity, unemployment, rising cost of living and the usual threat to peaceful coexistence, ‘as we approach the 2023 general election’.

Chairman of the occasion and Zannan of Ilorin, Engr. Yusuf Sagaya ,who was represented by Alh Ibrahim Salman,  submitted that Ilorin Emirate has witnessed peace and unprecedented growth in the past 27 years.

 In his remarks, the chairman of Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), Alh Aliyu Otta- Othman described the Emir as a kind-hearted leader , who always feels the pain of his subjects.

 Retired Justice Salihu Mohammed, a one-time Grand Khadi of the Kwara state Shariah Court of Appeal,  corroborated what  Otta-Othman said, acknowledging the positive role the Emir had  played in his career as a judicial officer- Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980. Thank you