Democracy Day: Okediran Advocates More Roles For Traditional Rulers, CSOs As Akeredolu Pardons 11 Prisoners In Ondo

By Niyi Olutunde, Akure

Former President, Association of Nigerian Authors, (ANA), Dr. Wale Okediran has advocated that traditional institution in Nigeria should be strengthened to play a more virile role in the emerging new democracy.

This, according to him, can be done through legislation at the level of the State House of Assemblies, rather than deny the institution any official or constitutional recognition and allow it to fade with the dynamics of history as democratic governance deepens.

Okediran, also former member House of Representatives, stated this in Akure while delivering a lecture entitled ‘Nigeria’s Unity: The Challenges, Prospects And The Way Forward’. To mark 2018 Democracy Day celebration organized by the Ondo State government.

“Many of our traditional rulers are well educated and one cannot ignore some stabilizing roles played by some traditional rulers in past incidents of religious and ethnic strives in the country”, he said.

The Guest Lecturer stressed that NGOs, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and traditional rulers have critical roles to play in the nation’s democracy and unity at large. He said the latter are unifying and symbolic to their people.

He maintained that Nigerian situation shows that the ethnicity factors is a vital and vibrant one which has and still affects the evolution of the country.

His words, “For Nigeria’s stability and the achievement of national unity and reconciliation, it is imperative for Nigerians to see themselves as belonging to one indivisible country, where ‘thou tribes and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand’.

“Nigerians have shown for the most part that they can accommodate themselves and co-exist, what is therefore required is a conscious pursuit of the relevant policies and programmes that will foster the bonds of unity in the country and help to bring down the barriers to reconciliation often created by ethnicity.

“If Nigeria’s unity is to be effectively threatened, then there must exist unity among those who seek to divide it. When you look at the unwillingness of the Nigerian government to pursue restructuring or referendum or anything that seek to upset its unity, you realize that nationalists group will only achieve their aim either through forceful exist or voting into power a government more favourable to the idea of secession or restructuring.

“Our unity is now under the biggest threat it has ever been since the civil war. The rise and rise of agitators seeking secession has mounted pressure on Nigeria”.

At the event which was chaired by Senator Olorunnibe Mamora, Ondo State governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu said the Democracy Day celebration affords Nigerians the opportunity to access their journey from pre-independence, post-independence and the fourth Republic, the new era of democracy.

He stressed that it was significant because there were a lot of lessons to learn saying “We have passed through a lot. We are reminded of the sacrifices made by both men and women whom many of them are dead.

“The current actors, therefore, on the political scene have a duty. This is the highest time we have stayed under civil rule, 19 solid years, despite our many socio-economic crises. May 29 is a significant day.”

Akeredolu, sharing the same view the guest speaker that the clamour for restructuring did not just start, expressed some misgivings towards restructuring and breaking up of Nigeria. “There is no way Nigeria could be divided; for me, I will fight on for one Nigeria till I die.

He noted that adopting a common local language, such as Hausa Language, across the Federation would further strengthen the unity of the nation and cause other numerous benefits for the largest Black country in the world.

To commemorate the Democracy Day celebration, Akeredolu granted pardon to eleven prisoners, who had been duly convicted of various terms of imprisonment in exercise of Paragraph (d) of Sub-section (1) of Section 212 of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The governor, charged the freed prisoners of the special grace and mercy to shun crime and embrace a new life of peace and productivity with a view to contributing to the growth of the Nigerian nation.