Speaker Says 10th National Assembly Will Create Constitutional Roles for Traditional Rulers

The Speaker of House of the Representatives, Tajudeen Abbass, has said that the 10th National Assembly would create a constitutional role for traditional rulers in the country.

The Speaker stated this when he paid homage to the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Bamali on Saturday in Zaria, Kaduna State,

Abbas who was welcomed to the palace with a colorful durbar said the majority of members of the current House Representatives understood the importance of the traditional institution in the country.

He noted that members would do the needful to ensure a role was created for the traditional rulers in the constitution.

The Speaker said he is aware that about three years ago, there was a paper by the Traditional Rulers Council across the six geo-political zones where they clearly stated how they want the traditional institutions to function in this present dispensation.

He assured that he and his colleagues who are from traditional ruling houses and others who share similar sentiments will go back and look at the position paper written by the traditional leaders in order to ensure that the traditional institution has a place in the current political administration.

In his remarks, the Emir of Zazzau said the request for roles for traditional rulers in the constitution was not an attempt to create another tier of government.

He also explained that the rulers had met with the former President, Senate President, and Speaker of the House of Representatives and had presented their position under the chairmanship of the Emir of Lafia who is a former Supreme Court Judge with experience but the bill was abandoned.