The Traditional Rulers of Yorubaland have decried the level of insecurity in the region and the killings of their colleagues in Ekiti and Kwara States.
The Monarchs stated this during the maiden edition of the Yoruba Security Summit in Ile-Ife, Osun State on Thursday. The summit had in attendance representatives of the Southwest Governors, traditional rulers, and security operatives across the region.
The Summit which was convened by the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, urged the traditional rulers to recourse to their natural resources including natural powers to combat banditry and kidnapping, imploring them not to jettison traditional values.
“Yoruba traditional rulers should return to the pristine Yoruba traditional, spiritual and cultural values, at all times. The traditional rulers should recognise that, in spite of whatever nature of religion they practice, they must recognise that the stool they Preside over is traditional “, Oba Ogunwusi stated.
“Any Oba who is disinterested in Yoruba culture and custom should abdicate his throne for anyone who is deeply versed and interested in Yoruba tradition”, he emphasized.
He also called for unison among all the traditional rulers in Yorubaland to work together in order to ward off the banditry and kidnapping as each of the States could only succeed in chasing the marauders to another State.
At the closing of the summit, the communique issued and signed by the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, Osemawe of Ondo, Alayeluwa Oba Victor Kiladejo, the Deji of Akure, Owa Ajero of Ijero-Ekiti, Akarigbo of Remoland, Olowu of Owu, Oludo of Ido-Osun, Aragbiji of Iragbiji and a host of other Yoruba traditional rulers.
The traditional rulers reached the conclusion that the Yoruba Security Summit should be held on quarterly basis so as to capture intervening and supervising variables in the polity.
The communique also called for strengthening of Amotekun corps, stating that “Motivation, finances, training and retraining of personnel that those who are familiar with nooks and crannies of our forests should be recruited into the Amotekun”.
“That Government at all levels should recognize the roles of traditional rulers and factor them into the national security architecture “.
“That the Governors of Southwest should organise Regional Security Summit at the earliest practiceable time”.
“Yoruba traditional rulers should take full possession of their forests, homelands and farmlands, while calling on local, State and Federal Government to employ the use of drones and other appropriate technology for effective surveillance of the forests and roads’
The summit also called for strong support for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams called for a federalism system of Government, adding that the traditional rulers will be more effective that way.
The summit also featured contributions from Yoruba activist, Sunday Igboho, renowned traditional worshipper, Ifayemi Elebubon, among others.
