President Muhammadu Buhari has asked traditional rulers in Nigeria to put their advice in writing so that he can relate it to the problems facing the country.
The president spoke at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday while meeting behind closed doors with the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III.
The Alaafin later told State House correspondents that he advised President Buhari on “multi-dimensional problems” facing Nigeria such as the Niger Delta crisis and the Boko Haram insurgency, among others.
He, however, did not disclose the specific advice he gave the president, saying it was confidential.
“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 Alaafin said President Buhari scored a major diplomatic point with the recent visit of the American Secretary of State, John Kerry.
“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.
