Alaafin Charges Obas On Community Policing

By Wale Adele - 23.02.2008

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, has urged traditional rulers in Oyo State to liaise with security agencies in their localities to ensure a safe environment for lives and property.

He gave the charge on Wednesday in his palace when he hosted a meeting of Obas and chiefs in Oyo North and South Divisions of the state.

Oba Adeyemi also told the monarchs to do everything within their power to ensure stability in the polity in the state, saying that as fathers to all, they must support the government of the day in the interest of their people.

Speaking on the five per cent accruable to traditional councils in the local governments, the permanent chairman of Oyo State council of Obas and Chiefs said the state government should review some deductions which are being made from local government fund before the traditional councils are paid.

He said the law which ceded the five per cent to the traditional council was clear that it should be from gross allocation as against the present practice.

The Alaafin also urged the Obas to limit their role to advisory level and allow politicians to play partisan politics.

He informed the gathering that efforts were on to promote some of the obas to the beaded crown wearers so as to give them a sense of belonging.

He noted that in the past, some obas had taken a wrong step in their bid to seek promotion, saying any oba who deserved promotion should write a letter through his (Alaafin) office as the chairman of the Council of Obas rather than going directly to the state government.

The meeting was attended by 38 Obas and chiefs across the zones, including the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Salau Abdul-Ganiyu Adekunle, and Iba of Kisi Oba Moshood Lawal.