By Seun Adams
President Muhammadu Buhari has called on traditional institutions across the country to ensure peace, unity and security within their respective domains.
This is with the view to bringing peace and understanding among the various tribes, religions and cultural of the different people resident in their domains.
Mr. Mohammed Manga, the Director Press of the ministry in a statement while quoting Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Minister of Interior, said the President made the call, in a message during the installation of Sir Adebutu Kensington as the new Odole of Oodua at Ile-Ife, Osun state.
Buhari who was represented by the Minister, said: “A safe, secure and prosperous country cannot be built without the traditional institutions and that is why we continue to engage with our royal fathers.”
The president acknowledged that, the title Odole Oodua, is being given out to a worthy Yoruba son, a philanthropist and entrepreneur of great standing, vast and also well-grounded in Yoruba culture, tradition and institutions. He urged them to ensure that the relationship at sub-ethnic level is cordial.
This he noted would naturally translate into peaceful co-existence with other ethnic groups.
He enjoined everyone to join hands in building a united and inclusive country, in which all groups interact with mutual respect, without the fear of absorbing the other.
Buhari emphasised that the traditional institutions have a critical role to play in securing their domain, being the institutions that are close to their people.
He called on them therefore, to report or call the attention of law enforcement agencies in the case of any security breach in their respective domains for necessary action.
The President further emphasised that “Federal Government is committed to ensuring the peace and security of the nation as efforts were being strengthened to restore peace to any troubled part of the country. “We are not going to rest on our oars until we achieve this”, he added.
According to him: “Every life is valuable and anyone or group that will constitute a threat to the life and property of Nigerians will have the full force of the government to contend with.”
In his remarks, the Governor of Osun State, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for honoring the invitation of the new Odole Oodua of Ile-Ife, Sir (Dr) Kensington Adebikunola Adebutu, describing the new Odole Oodua as an industrialist traditional Leader and investor who will leave no stone unturned in his capacity to be of assistance to the Government and people of Ile-Ife, Osun state and Nigeria as a whole.