By: Olusegun Lawrence The Lamido of Adamawa, Muhammadu Barkindo Mustapha again, stole the show in a negative way at the ongoing national conference.
The traditional ruler who recently threatened to walk out of the conference and to move his people out of Nigeria, attacked another delegate, Ayo Adebanjo, at plenary on Tuesday.
While taking his turn to comment of President Goodluck Jonathan’s speech, the Lamido, said Adebanjo was ranting at his age.
The monarch enjoined the delegates to take a cue from the President’s suggestion and not the so-called civilized people from the south-west, referring to Adebanjo.
His words, “In his address he almost laid down the challenges facing this country and went ahead to tell us to be moderate.
“I will like to advise us once again to take a cue from Mr. President and not the so-called civilized people from the West who always tell us no permanent friends but permanent interest and who advocate same sex marriages.
“People like Chief Ayi Adebanjo, who even in his prime age of 80s is still ranting. I have observed, what is point of order when last week you castigated me?”, he said rebuffing the shout of ‘point of order’.
The Lamido also deviated from the content of the President’s speech to comment on resource control, saying delegates who had spoken earlier had jumped the gun as well.
He therefore, declared support for resource control.
“Mr. Chairman, I have observed that the people (delegates) have started jumping the gun by commenting on issues like resource control, resource ownership and so on.
“In this case, let me also jump the gun and say that States who don’t have oil should allow States who have oil to take 100 percent revenue.
“And States that don’t have oil should take 100 percent land resource. That means all land should revert to those States.
“And anybody who wants to use the land or the structure on the land must pay rent to those States that are traditional owners of the land”.
The traditional ruler also commented on the call for roles for traditional rulers, saying “As for traditional rulers, I don’t support the idea or opinion to give us any role in the constitution.
“Our roles are conventions like the British constitution and we have been performing them for a number of years and in some places for more than one thousand years.
“What traditional rulers in Nigeria want is recognition. So, I urge this Conference to insert in the constitution, a provision that will entrench the National Traditional Rulers Council of Nigeria, whose membership will be the traditional rulers from each State, including the President of the Council from that State”.
He also spoke on the need for the conference not to give room for discussion based on ethnic agitation, noting “The other day I heard some ethnic nationality delegate saying that his people are marginalized, because a District Head was appointed in the area, which they don’t support.
“We should not listen to these ethnic chauvinists because if we agree with their argument, we will end up in a situation in Nigeria whereby every ethnic group will demand for the next President, Governor, Emir, Obis, Obas, Ministers, Chairman of Local government.
“So, we better thank God the major tribes in Nigeria are tolerant, considerate and magnanimous otherwise, we would found ourselves in a different situation in Nigeria today”.
As the Lamido was speaking, some delegates were shouting ‘point of order’ but were ignored by the chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi, who allowed the monarch to conclude his submission.
