By sam eyoboka

TRADITIONAL rulers, under the aegis of Christian Royal Fathers of Nigeria, CRFN, have charged the Federal Government to accord more constitutional responsibilities and powers to traditional rulers in the administration of the country.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos yesterday, the national chairman of CRFN, Prophet Nnamdi Ofoegbu, said a situation whereby traditional rulers who ordinarily should be the bulwark of governance in Nigeria because of their proximity to the grassroots and rural populace “are relegated to the background does not augur well for the nation’s quest for rapid growth and development.”

Eze Ofoegbu, Diawa I of Umudiawa Kingdom, in Abia State, stressed that most of the restiveness and social vices were as a result of paucity of administration. in the nation.

including armed robbery, kidnapping, thuggery and high profile murders and assassinations in different parts of the country were as a result of the paucity of administration in the nation, noting that the ugly trend would become a thing of the past if traditional rulers were empowered to exercise greater influence and control in the governance of their various communities and towns.

Decrying a situation where ad hoc committees are set up to play the role of fire brigade, Ofoegbu argued that the spate of crises in the various communities would be contained if traditional rulers were given more recognition in the day_to_day administration of the country.

“It is not only when there are problems that you knock at the doors of the royal fathers. We have turmoil across the country because traditional rulers are not given constitutional powers to be in charge. Involvement of royal fathers would help avert social vices in the different communities in the country,” he said.

The CRFN also chairman gave thumbs down for the local government administration in the country, saying it has failed woefully in the discharge of its mandate.

According to him: “The essence of local government administration in any developing and developed country is to bring government closer to the people. But, if you look around today, that is not the case. The closer they are to the rural populace, the farther they have become. The people hardly feel their impact.”

Ofoegbu further argued that as the real custodian of the communities, traditional rulers should be empowered to perform this all important responsibility so that the grassroots populace can feel the impact of government.

Speaking on the ongoing voters’ registration exercise, the traditional ruler, who is also the pastor in charge of Christ the Light of Fire Ministries charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that no eligible voter is disenfranchised by ensuring that it provides adequate materials and personnel for the exercise even as he called on Nigerians especially Christians to go out and register “because the future of our land is now in our hands.”

He also tasked the political class to play by the rule so as to make the April general elections credible, free and fair.