The Eburu of Iba, Oba (Prof.) Adekunle Adeogun Okunoye, has called for clearly defined constitutional roles for traditional rulers, including their representation on local government budget committees.
The monarch said traditional rulers should be formally involved in decisions affecting their communities, arguing that they are better positioned to communicate the needs and priorities of residents to local government authorities.
Okunoye made the call in an interview with PrimeStar News Online, where he argued that the traditional institution could contribute more effectively to governance if government created a framework for its involvement.
He said local government chairmen should include traditional rulers in their budget committees to enable them to present projects and development priorities requiring attention in their communities.
According to him, the arrangement would help ensure that projects reflect the actual needs of the people rather than decisions imposed by officials who might not fully understand local priorities.
“Local government chairmen should constitute their budget committees and ensure that traditional rulers in their respective local government areas are represented,” he said.
The monarch also proposed that traditional rulers should help monitor the execution of government projects in their communities.
He argued that because traditional rulers live within the communities, they can observe project implementation and help promote accountability.
Okunoye maintained that traditional rulers were not seeking to take over the responsibility of executing government projects but wanted to be involved in identifying needs and monitoring delivery.
He said the government should find a way to accommodate the traditional institution within the existing governance structure.
The monarch further suggested that traditional rulers should collectively agree on the responsibilities they want government to assign to them and present their position to the authorities.
He questioned whether their roles should include judicial or legislative responsibilities, stressing the need for clarity about their place in the country’s governance system.
Okunoye also said the traditional institution could contribute to addressing security challenges if government provided the necessary resources and involved monarchs in managing security within their respective territories.
He said the central issue was not the absence of traditional rulers but the failure to create a system that effectively utilises their knowledge of, and connection to, their communities.
