Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticised the decline of traditional institutions in Nigeria, blaming it for the country’s worsening challenges.
In his new book, Nigeria: Past and Future, unveiled last week, Obasanjo lamented that many traditional rulers have abandoned their role as custodians of customs and societal values. He also raised concerns over the increasing number of monarchs, arguing that unworthy individuals were now being installed as rulers.
“Today, there are criminals, drug addicts, vagabonds, bandits and kidnappers as so-called traditional rulers,” he wrote.
“This is a great pity, and it has greatly contributed to the problems of Nigeria by traditional rulers. How do we account for a traditional ruler snatching a ballot box at an election polling station and running away with it?”
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Obasanjo called for a return to the era when traditional rulers were men of integrity, honour and dignity. “The class of traditional rulers with their distinction, honour and dignity, as we knew them in the colonial days and early post-independence days, has been diluted and polluted.
“That dignity, aura and respect should be brought back, and traditional rulers should be an asset to Nigeria’s development and greatness, not a liability.”
He urged Nigeria’s traditional rulers to undergo a “moral re-armament,” saying they should contribute meaningfully to the country’s progress.
“There is a need for moral re-armament among the traditional rulers – the ancient and historic ones. And they can and should make meaningful contributions to the Nigeria of our dreams that will serve the purpose and interest of all.”