President Muhammadu Buhari has asked traditional rulers within the country to advise him on steps taken to improve the country’s conditions in writing.
Speaking at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja, Thursday, August 25, 2016, while meeting privately with the Alaafin of Oyo and Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, urged monarchs that they put writing meant for him in writing.
The Alaafin told the State House correspondent, according to reports in Daily Trust, that he had advised the president on “multi-dimensional” issue that the country faced such as the Niger Delta Crisis and Boko Haram insurgency, among others.
Saying his advice to President Buhari was confidential, he added that the president had been attentive.
“The president listened attentively and he has asked me to pass the information to other traditional rulers in my domain to assist the government by giving advice because he is a good listener, but that such advice should be put in writing so that he can then relate it to the problems affecting Nigeria,” he said.
“As a Nigerian and one of the topmost traditional rulers in the country, over time, I sent a memorandum to the president which he acknowledged and asked me to come and endorse those things I had written. I think it’s time for me to use the proper channel to reach the president for suggestions and advice.
“I’ve met with the president and offered some suggestions. We’re losing huge resources to the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers. Coming close to that is the infiltration of the militants in Lagos and Ikorodu where in the last three weeks, 10 landlords were massacred.
“The Federal Government has since sent forces there to wipe them out. Normalcy has since returned to Ikorodu and Arepo areas. If they had successfully spread their activities to the South-west, there would have been more destruction. Lagos is the economic heartbeat of the nation.”
The Alafin included that the visit of the American secretary of state, John Kerry, was a diplomatic progress for the president.
“America does not usually send top officers for such visits if they have not used certain parameters to gauge the country’s performance,” he said.
Adeyemi also confirmed that President Buhari listened, adding that the president sent him to other traditional rulers in his domain.
“The president listened attentively and he has asked me to pass the information to other traditional rulers in my domain to assist the government by giving advice because he is a good listener but that such advice should be put in writing so that he can then relate it to the problems affecting Nigeria,” he said.
