Speakers at a colloquium on 27th anniversary of the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari on Thursday called for constitutional role for traditional rulers in the country.

At the event organized by the Kwara State council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in collaboration with the Ilorin Emirate Council, the speakers including academia, jurists and technocrats, also said the roles of the monarch in maintaining security in their domains should be further enhanced.

They harped on the need for government to fashion out constitutional roles for traditional rulers to enable them bail the country out of its hydra-headed security problems.

Speakers at the event included Professor Ibrahim Jawondo, Engineer Yusuf Sagaya, a retired security chief, Alhaji Aliyu Otta-Othman, Justice Salihu Mohammed and Kwara NUJ chairman, Ahmed AbdulLateef.

The Emir was represented at the event by the most senior high chief in Ilorin Emirate, the Balogun Gambari of Ilorin, Alhaji Aliyu Adebayo.

The guest lecturer, Professor Ibrahim Jawondo of the University of Ilorin said that traditional rulers should be meaningfully involved in the act of governance.

“Experiences have shown that involvement of traditional rulers in act of governance will go a long way in solving some teething problems in Nigeria. Thus, it will be better if constitutional roles are fashioned out for traditional rulers rather than the fire-fighting and ad-hoc engagements given to them,” Jawondo said.

The university don also said that honorary titleholders should seek deeper meaning of the responsibilities of the titles conferred on them and act most appropriately, adding that the step would help the traditional rulers the more in administrating their domains.

“The hereditary rulers need to do more in their supervisory roles at their territories to curb social vices which continue to be on the increase on daily basis. Greed resulting into injustice should be shunned to regain their lost glories. Kudus to the Emir who ruled that they must stay at their various posts”, he said.

The state chairman of NUJ, Abdullateef Ahmed, said that people could not but celebrate the emir of Ilorin because of the importance average Ilorin indigenes attached to his historical turbaning event also admirably referred to as 11/11.