Adamawa to accord priority to traditional institutions

Governor Murtala Nyako dropped the hint while speaking at an international conference on Adamawa Emirate held in Yola. He said for years, Nigerians   have debated the issue of a constitutional role for traditional rulers,  canvassing that the debate should be resolved in favour of a formal constitutional role for the traditional institution, saying that  those who sit on the throne today are highly educated professionals.

“We  have top military, police and customs officers, university professors, lawyers, accountants and a host of the other professionals including journalists as traditional rulers and they have being contributing to nation building.  We should please accord them the necessary support to succeed, ’’ the governor has said.

Governor Nyako, who was represented by his chief of staff, Alhaji Bello Tukur noted with concern that denying them a constitutional role is like denying the country rulers with vast and varied experiences that should help in social, and economic development, and urged traditional rulers not to engage in acts capable of denting their images as custodians of the people’s culture, and values.

While commenting on the Adamawa Emirate and its legacies between 1809 and 2009, the governor said:” The Lamido Adamawa and his colleagues on the thrones in other parts of the country must take due credit for the transformation of the traditional institutions into a modern institution capable of responding to the changing social, economic and political circumstances in the society’’.

In his welcome address, chairman of the occasion, Galadima Adamawa, Alh. Murtala Aminu said the conference was aimed at providing a forum after the celebrations marking emirate’s bicentenary celebration to review the history of the emirate in particular and the country in general to mould the future.

He said intellectuals within and outside the country converged to brain storm on the prospects, problems and progress recorded in the emirate.