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Modernising roles of traditional rulers
Recently, His
Royal Highness,
Oba (Dr) Folagbade Olateru-Olagbegi III, Olowo of Owo, called for constitutional roles for traditional rulers in an article published in Saturday Tribune recently, I believe every Nigerian should support this move.
Hence, the National Assembly should begin the process of ensuring that Oba Olateru-Olagbegi’s proposal becomes a reality through constitutional amendments. In view of this, alongside the responsibilities of nurturing and advancing our cultures, languages and values, the traditional institutions, especially the kingmakers, must ensure that the person who ascends a throne is the most suitable.
The traditional ruler must be a leader, and not a manager. He must be able to influence and inspire his subjects; he must have a vision of what can be done to improve his community.
The traditional ruler must be father to all. The traditional ruler must also have a stable family and be able to lend support to others to achieve personal success. A traditional ruler, irrespective of his religion, must be a defender of the religious beliefs of others.
The above attributes will prepare our rulers for diversity of leadership roles, including keeping the culture intact. Yoruba as a race, for example, has a mechanism capable of achieving the above attributes whenever a new king is being crowned.
Therefore, our traditional rulers ought to be given constitutional roles to enable them to perform better in their various communities. In other words, the Federal Government should modernise the roles of traditional rulers, so that they can achieve more for their people, especially in preserving the culture which is already at the mercy of western civilisation.
Olusola Samuel-Ojo osamueIojo@yahoo.com |
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Re: e-payment grumblings: The way out
I read a recent article on the
grumblings about the new e-payment system that government has introduced, how it causes delays in salary payments, among others. And as ever, I believe the problem arises from poor information management – this time on the part of government, and perhaps more crucially, on the part of the banks and their Bankers Committee.
The essence of e-payment is to ensure that payments go directly to the beneficiary’s bank account, and for this to work, there are two vital numbers needed – the beneficiary bank account number, and their bank Sort Code.
Everyone knows their own bank account number, but many are ignorant of their bank’s Sort Code – indeed, even bank staff seem not to know it, as I found when I enquired from my various banks (Names withheld).
The best they could tell me was the 3-digit numbers that are the code of the bank and the code for the particular branch, but whilst these are incorporated into the Sort Code, but they do not constitute the Sort Code themselves. Only by persistent enquiry did I learn that the Sort Code is actually the middle, 9-digit number at the bottom of a current account cheque leaf. Fine, but what of the millions of workers whose salary accounts are savings, not current accounts, how do they identify their sort code?
Their only way out is to ask their bank, but they must stress to the bank staff that it is “the 9-digit number at the bottom of a current account cheque for that branch” that is needed, as the bank staff is very likely ignorant of this fact.
The Bankers Committee must do a better job of informing everyone exactly what the Sort Code is for each and every bank branch. A prominent notice – “KNOW YOUR SORT CODE” – placed in every bank branch would address this problem, and greatly facilitate the implementation of e-payments.
’Yinka Oyediran,
yinka.oyediran_kc60@yahoo.co.uk
0803 629 0281 |
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The need for better sanitation in Oyo
RECENTLY, Alhaji Mikhail Majekodunmi
Aborode, Oyo State Commissioner for Water
Resources and Environment led a team of health officials to Ogunpa, Ibadan, to assess the degree of sanitation in the famous market. To his utter dismay, he found out that all kinds of detestable acts were going on there unabated and the whole area was in a mess. Illegal structures, human faeces, indiscriminate dumping of refuse into Ogunpa stream and other irresponsible acts were prominent in the vicinity of the area, consequently, he ordered a temporary closure of the market and stoppage of commercial activities until sanity prevailed.
Enraged by the order of the commissioner, the discourteous among the traders went ahead to assault him and his men.
However, the traders later showed contrition for their despicable act and the commissioner, in the true spirit of “to err is human, to forgive is divine” pardoned them but warned them to desist from such unholy act .
It will be recalled that a similar exercise was carried out in the same area last year which culminated in the demolition of illegal shanties put up by the traders. The government was highly commended for this action. But soon after, the traders observed that government officials were not around, they reverted to the old practice and this is why many illegal stalls are now springing up in the area.
Some display their merchandise on the roads thereby disrupting the flow of traffic.
It is not only in Ogunpa, Akilapa, and Labaowo that dirty habits are common.Areas like Mokola , Ayeye, Agbeni, Feleye, Idikan, Oritamerin and others are equally guilty of sanitation offences.
My advice to the state government is to ensure regular monitoring of these areas. Traders should be made to adhere strictly to the rules guiding sanitation by keeping their markets neat and tidy while demolition of illegal stalls should be a continuous exercise.
Additionally, government should look into the possibility of establishing special courts to try sanitation and allied offenders to replace existing mobile courts which have not performed effectively .
Similarly, regular evacuation of refuse around the city should be made a priority.
Ola-Olaniyi Bamgbola,
53, Agbeni Quarters,
Ibadan.
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