Utuama bemoans absence of constitutional roles for monarchs

Delta State Deputy Governor, Professor Amos Utuama, SAN, has decried the absence of a constitutional role for traditional rulers at the just concluded National Conference, noting that the monarchs are important players in nation building.
Utuama, who made the call in Enugu at the South-South/South-East Traditional Rulers forum, urged the monarchs to key into the various programmes of government at all levels.
His words: ‘’We thought that the traditional institution would be given a specific constitutional role, but it was not done.
“In Delta State, and I believe in other states, we will try as much as possible within the limit of resources available, to make their responsibilities more robust so that government can connect more through them to the people and the people can connect to government, because that is the very essence of government.”
The National Chairman, Traditional Council of Nigeria, Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, advised traditional rulers to respect their stools and avoid begging for favours.
He noted that the traditional institution is the only institution that embodies various professionals such as the military, doctors, professors among others.