. Speaker urges resident doctors to shelve planned strike
.Constitutional roles for traditional rulers may soon be reality.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio gave the assurance yesterday, when he received royal fathers across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

Akpabio, who was responding to requests by the rulers for the role, said the idea could boost security nationwide.He explained: “Your request for constitutional roles in governance is not strange to us and, in particular, to me, based on my background. My late grandfather was a traditional ruler and, in fact, one of the warrant officers used by colonial masters for effective implementation of indirect rule. During the period, traditional rulers effectively tackled issues of safety and security in their various domains.”

Akpabio added: “It is my belief, and the entire Senate leadership, here, that if traditional rulers are constitutionally engaged in governance at the grassroots, the myriad of security challenges facing the country would be curtailed. Traditional fathers are reservoirs of information highly needed at the grassroots. Your journey to us, today, on the request would surely not be in vain.”

Earlier in his speech, on behalf of the traditional rulers, the Etsu of Nupe, Dr Yahaya Abubakar, who represented Chairman of National Traditional Council of Nigeria and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, lamented that constitutional role for traditional rulers was expunged by drafters of the 1979 Constitution.

This came as the Speaker, House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, restated the political will of the 10th House to prioritise restructuring and constitutional amendments.

Tajudeen disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday, during a stakeholders’ dialogue with the Committee on Legislative Agenda, put together by Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC).

According to the Speaker, the House will also pay priority attention to participatory budgeting and delivery, law reform, electoral reform, women’s participation and inclusion in governance, improved socio-economic conditions, entrepreneurship, employment, health and education, infrastructure, citizen-focused diplomacy, institutional capacity, and citizens’ engagement.

He said lawmakers would not hesitate to consult with critical stakeholders to elicit their input and areas of expectations, and that the 10th House of Representatives is ready to respond urgently to yearnings of the electorate.

“We can never overemphasise the fact that citizens’ engagement is the fulcrum
of representative democracy. It is only through such engagements that legislators would truly become representatives of the people. To do otherwise will amount to democracy without the people,” Abbas added.

In his remarks, PLAC’s executive director, Clement Nwankwo, who lamented shortcomings of the 2023 elections, said the polls “did not meet citizens’ expectations, even as he hoped that the National Assembly would “look at the recommendations” of election observer groups.

Also, Abbas, yesterday, appealed to members of National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to shelve their planned industrial action and allow lawmakers to mediate on their concerns.

The Speaker, who made the request at a meeting with the leadership of the doctors in Abuja, also urged them to be realistic in their demands

The Resident Doctors had embarked on a warning strike before inauguration of the current administration, demanding a 200 per cent increase in salaries, and other associated allowances.

Abbas said the decision of the leadership of the doctors to meet with the House is an affirmation of their faith and confidence in the capacity of lawmakers to intervene and resolve the dispute.