By Austin Ogwuda

Enugu—THE Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar III yesterday in Enugu called on all traditional rulers in the country, to rise up and show concern over the current insurgency raving the North East part of the country.

He said it was improper for any traditional ruler to remain complacent because his domain was not affected.

The Sultan who spoke as a guest of honour at the South-South/South-East Traditional Rulers Forum, also advised his colleagues to be courageous and to tell politicians the truth no matter whose ox was gored.

Sultan, others praying

President Goodluck Jonathan, represented by the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Kabiru Turaki, SAN, assured traditional rulers that his administration was doing everything possible to ensure that the traditional institution was given a pride of place.

He said, “Mr. President awesomely welcomed the recommendation of the traditional institution which was adequately represented at the Confab. I am pleased to inform you that Mr. President is making relentless effort with the National Assembly towards finding more convenient roles for our revered traditional rulers so as to enable better involvement and participation for them in issues of governance and administration of our dear country.”

On his part, the South-South Monarchs Forum, Chairman, Edmund Daukoru, said unless the issue of moral crisis, which is the root cause of insecurity and corruption in this country, was properly addressed, the nation might be chasing the shadows.

According to him “our beloved nation for whose well-being we have a sacred obligation of life-long labour is today in a serious moral crisis   which is the root cause of most of the dysfunctionality we observe in the society at large from insecurity to corruption.

Regrettably, our collective guilt and the attendant fear of mutual blackmail continue to inhibit us from taking up this matter more seriously. All the same, it is my firm conviction that the traditional institution is uniquely placed to partner with government, along with credible religious and social organizations to bring about the much desired moral re-armament against such consequences of bad conscience as the deadly lack of morality that leads people to play black leg in favour of Boko Haram terrorists or the selfish morality that helps itself to bank funds to the determent of depositors just to name a few recent examples.”