Traditional rulers are the gatekeepers of any society and also the catalyst for socio-economic development and the custodian of the tradition and culture of people and values also serve as political symbol of unity and power. Traditional rulers are to provide security for their subjects, which is their primary responsibility. This was the norm during the pre-colonial era hence we had well secured communities then but today we rely on modern method of security.
Nigeria has not been able to meet the United Nations requirement which is one policeman to 400 people. The number we have now is grossly inadequate. Therefore, involving traditional institution in security procedure is very vital to any country because they are more relevant in ensuring peace, stability and wellbeing of every given society and also play a vital role in nation building in the contemporary Nigeria from local to federal level.
In addition, Nigeria security, especially with the burgeoning population growth, can be improved by involving the traditional rulers in security matters. That most of them are highly qualified and experienced personalities whose wealth of knowledge is a great asset for development purposes is not in doubt. They are the key to the success and failure of security administration in the country due to the fact that they operate at the grassroots and maintain first line contact with the ordinary people and they know who comes in and goes out of their domains.
Therefore, the role of traditional rulers in the security matters of this country can’t be over emphasised. The system should re-invent with pre-colonial era method in order to succeed
Security is a collective responsibility and should not be left to government alone. My humble advice to the National Assembly is to enact laws which will involve traditional rulers in security matters and to grant them security vote. This will minimise the security problem across Nigeria.
Bello Shehu Shuni
08035114465
