Former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar on Saturday underscored the importance of traditional institutions to the lives of the people.
Abubakar underscored their importance at the Emir’s Palace in Minna during the turbaning ceremony of his son, Isah Abubakar as Wakilin Minna and his younger brother Alh. Yakubu Abubakar, as Walin Minna (Karami).
He, therefore, called on government at all levels to empower traditional institutions to enable them to effectively play their role in the society.
The former Nigerian leader said that government should not just appoint traditional leaders, but should also empower them in a way that they would be able to play their role in the lives of the people effectively.
“The traditional institutions have been our everything because they are the most critical institutions that have direct contact with the people.
“They are the foremost institutions taking care of the well-being of the people in terms of security,” he said.
He praised the Emir of Minna, Alh. Umar Faruq for reviving Minna Emirate, and urged the newly turbaned traditional leaders to represent the interest of the people well.
In his remarks, Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger state, appealed to the people of the emirate to give their maximum cooperation to the newly turbaned traditional leaders to enable them to discharge their duties diligently.
Speaking, the emir advised the newly turbaned traditional leaders to be fair to the people and to carry out their responsibilities effectively.
He urged them to put God first in whatever they did and to live above self-interest.
Yakubu was born in 1972 into the family of the late Alh. Abubakar Jibrin, the pioneer Sarkin Kasuwa Minna and Walin Minna while Isah was born in 1980 into the family of Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar. (NAN)
