Oba Olufemi Ogunleye, the Towulade of Akinale in Ogun State, has requested that the Federal Government increase the pittance that local governments give to traditional leaders.
The monarch claimed that due to their roles, traditional kings and queens should get higher monthly allowances than they already do.
According to him, “the federal and state governments should provide enabling annual budget for traditional councils to augment the pittance of five percent direct deductions from the local government allocation to the traditional rulers.”
The monarch gave a speech at the Ogun State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations’ (NIPR) monthly business meeting in Abeokuta in May.
He urged all levels of government to view monarchs as partners in national growth and governance.
He argued that traditional leaders should have a say in the constitution so they can take pride in their leadership and real democracy.
In a presentation titled “Roles of Traditional Rulers in Strengthening Democracy,” the Oba bemoaned the neglect of participatory democracy in Nigeria and claimed that the constitutional democracy practice paid scant attention to the nation’s monarchical past.
Oba Ogunleye recalled that many African kingdoms had well-organized, legislative, executive, and judicial systems of government during the pre-colonial era.
He claimed that these kingdoms had large armies to defend their territories, which were “later crippled by the invasion of British rule.”
“The constitutional democracy in Nigeria today has relegated Nigerian traditional rulers to the position of obscurity in issues of leadership, especially when compared to the admirable position they had during the pre-colonial era,” the Oba regretted.
Earlier, the Ogun NIPR Chairman, Mrs. Oluwaseun Boye, urged everyone to imitate the esteemed Kabiyesi’s fatherly role and noted that the contributions of learned traditional rulers cannot be ignored in nation-building and progress.
The meeting’s highlight was the induction of Mr. Kunle Somorin, the governor of Ogun State’s chief press secretary, into the NIPR.