The President, Muhammadu Buhari has called for help from traditional rulers in the country while describing himself as a good listener.
Buhari made this call shortly after the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, visited him at the State House in Abuja on Thursday.
Buhari while calling on traditional rulers in the country to help him in moving the nation forward noted that such advice should be put into writing.
The Alaafin of Oyo during his visit aimed at endorsing the memorandum which was earlier sent by the President said: “The President listened attentively and he has asked me to pass the information to other traditional rulers in my domain to assist the government by giving advice because he is a good listener but that such advice should be put in writing so that he can then relate it to the problems affecting Nigeria.”
The monarch further added that he advised the president on several pressing issues facing the nation, noting specifically the insurgency in the Niger Delta region and the Boko Haram in the North.
Oba Adeyemi said: “As a Nigerian and one of the topmost traditional rulers in the country, over the time, I sent a memorandum to the President which he acknowledged and he asked me to come and endorse those things I have written.
“I think it is time for me to use the proper channel to reach the President for suggestions and advice. Where he deserves commendation, I should also do that, especially as it concerns the multi-dimensional problems Nigeria is facing; the Avengers and the bombing of oil installations, MEND, Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East.
“One major diplomatic point the President scored recently was the visit of the US Secretary of State, John Kerry. America does not usually send top officers for such visits if they have not used certain parameters to gauge the country’s performance.
“I have met with the President and offered some suggestions. We are losing huge resources to the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers. Coming close to that is the infiltration of Lagos by militants, especially in Ikorodu, where in the last three weeks, 10 landlords were massacred.
“The Federal Government has since sent forces there to wipe them out. Normalcy has since returned to Ikorodu and Arepo areas. If they had successfully spread their activities to the South-West, there would have been more destruction. Lagos is the economic heartbeat of the nation.”