President Bola Tinubu on Friday met with prominent traditional rulers across the country under the auspices of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) at the State House Conference Centre, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
OsunDaily News reports the meeting, which is the first by the President with traditional rulers after his inauguration is part of ongoing consultations with various stakeholders across the country.
The traditional rulers were led into the meeting by the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’adu Abubakar who is the chairman of the council.
In his opening remarks, the Sultan of Sokoto said the traditional rulers were at the Villa to congratulate the President and pledge their commitment to supporting him in the huge task of running the nation.
He pointed out that the traditional rulers have various professional backgrounds and this would be a ready pool for the President to draw from.
The Sultan on behalf of his colleagues also expressed the confidence of the traditional rulers in the ability of President Tinubu to steer the affairs of the nation aright.
He said: “We thank God for the smooth way the elections took place. Many negative people thought this country will collapse but we are still here.
“We are here for you, for our people and our country. If you don’t reach out to us, we will reach out to you.
“We wish you the most successful tenure in good health.”
On his part, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Adewusi, who is the co-chair of the council, assured President Tinubu of their readiness to work with him in the area of insecurity. He urged the President not to underestimate what they can do.
“There are areas we will like to work with you, one of which is security. It is time to use us the more, we are not saying we are idle…but to make your work easier use us.
“The foundation of this country today are the traditional rulers. We are here to pledge our loyalty and support. We want to work with you to ensure you leave a legacy.
“Don’t underestimate what traditional rulers can do,” he said.
