Seek wise counsels of traditional rulers – Ex DCG Customs, Okai to Gov’ts

A retired Deputy Comptroller General of Nigerian Customs, Chief James Alabi Okai has urged government at all levels to always seek wise counsels of traditional rulers in policy making for purposes of peace, unity and tranquility of the nation.

Elder Okai handed down the advice at the backdrop of daunting security and economic challenges facing the nation, stressing that government could tap the opportunity of traditional rulers’ wisdom and wise counsels when making policies for the nation.

Speaking with CAPITAL POST as part of his new year message, Okai who is a titled monarch as “Okwu Ata”, and Onu Igala in the Federal Capital Territory and its environs, insisted that traditional rulers would be of help given their knowledge of who is who in rural areas, particularly as government battles with tackling of security threats.

He said the role of traditional rulers which is to cooperate with government, and the law abiding citizens in tackling security threat was yet to be leveraged by law enforcement agents, a development he opined, was not healthy in desiring a crime free society.

He said: “The role of traditional chiefs is to make sure they cooperate with government and the law abiding citizens and the law enforcement officers and if there is anything going wrong, traditional rulers should rise to the occasion and suggest what should be done, especially crime that are going on in many places. The traditional ruler should liaise with not only government, but with law enforcement agencies like police, soldiers and others.

“Traditional stool should tell chiefs under them to be watchful on society around them so that they should be able to spot out bad characters and root them out. They should be able to do this with help from governors of their respective States, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

“There should be a deliberation in the Council on anything that is good and that will promote peace within their Local Government and Nigeria as a while.

“In the Federal Capital Territory, we have numerous Igala Chiefs scattered around various communities and these communities are headed by chiefs. Chiefs of other tribe, the indigenous chiefs, the Hakimis, and so government should deliberate with them to know what each community wanted

“You know traditional rulers are daily in touch with the people in rural areas or in their respective domains. It is necessary that anybody that wants the society to grow, either Federal State or Local Government Council should have the input of their traditional rulers because after their input, government would be aware of day to day happenings in the area and the best way to tackle it.

“My own advice is to really have traditional rulers to have input in government policies because it bring more understanding between the government and traditional rulers and the two will work together. At the centre, the National Assembly and the State Assembly will be able to know after taking consultations from their traditional rulers. Government will have more information and day to day happenings in their areas.

“Any bill that concern traditional rulers, it is good to have selected traditional rulers from the North, Middle Belt, South, East and West in involved because when two better heads are put together, it brings more understanding.”