The Senate, on Wednesday, declared that the 1976 local government reform eroded a chain in intelligence gathering and ultimately, a setback in combating crime in the country.
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan and the Leader of the Senate, Yahaya Abdullahi, made the observations in separate presentations after the conferment of Ganuwan Kebbi title on Senator Lawan by the Emir of Argungun, Alhaji Muhammad Mera at the National Assembly complex.
President of the Senate maintained that the 1976 reform stripped the traditional rulers of their proactive role in sieving information that would help security agencies in identifying criminals, their kingpins and hideout.
He said: ” The traditional fathers have always been supportive of the government. We from the northern part of the country know that in the past that the traditional rulership played a very key stabilising role in administration which is highly needed now.
“In fact, we need to have a proper formal role given the role to them and more especially with the current security situation in the country.
“I am sure that the traditional rulers can provide a lot of support for government and security agencies in fighting snd winning the insecurity challenges that we have today.”
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Senator representing Kebbi North and Senate Majority Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi specifically said the local government reform which left traditional rulers stranded with no formal role in governance was an aberration.
He recalled that before the reform the Emirs and by extension, Emirates in the North played a crucial role in combating crime.
“Unfortunately the 1976 local government reform removed the traditional rulers from an active role in governance at the grassroots and invariably created a vacuum for effective intelligence gathering which has snowballed into the big problem of insecurity in the entire North today as regards Boko Haram, armed banditry, herders and farmers clashes etc.
“There is need to restore their role because there can be a vacuum in power if you divest a group of people of required power or responsibilities, those unexpected will rush to fill the vacuum as it is the case in the North now “Fortunately, the process of constitution amendment is ongoing, providing the opportunity for stakeholders in the country, to fashion out a constitutional role for traditional rulers at the local government level.”
Earlier in his remarks, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan who represented the Emir of Argungu, said the President of the Senate was considered for the title because of his quality leadership in the National Assembly and for honouring the Emirate’s invitation to attend the Argungu Fishing Festival as a special guest.
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Traditional rulers should get constitutional roles
and then