The Role of Traditional Rulers in Maintaining Peace and Harmony in Nigeria
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives of the Study
The major objective of the Study is the role of traditional rulers in maintaining peace and harmony in Nigeria. Specifically,we aim:
- To examine the role of Traditional rulers in ensuring peace and harmony in the society.
- To examine the dictates of the Traditional rulers as regards peace and harmony.
- To identify the factors disrupting peace and harmony of the society.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
In every work of this nature, it is important that the view of different scholars, professionals and social scientists on the subject matter are reviewed and analyzed. This view would cover and analyze the traditional institution, the position and the roles in the pre-colonial, colonial, and post colonial institution in the present day Nigeria in relation to management of communal conflict.
THE CONCEPT OF TRADITIONAL INSTITUTION
The term traditional institution is the application and use of people’s belief, values and customs etc, which the people have in mind to accept as valid and positive in running the affairs of the society, in order to ensure stability growth and accomplishment of a common objectives of the nation, or the institution, the institution should be fully recognized and be accorded with the necessary requirements needed for actualization of its objectives.
In another meaning, traditional institution refers to as those various political leaders who exercised their political powers at ethnic or sun-ethnic levels in Nigeria. The fact still remains that, these rulers operates outsides the formal structures of modern state power in Nigeria, it underestimated the wide disparity in the locus and extent of power exercised by this classes of Nigerian leaders, for instance, sultan of Sokoto and Eze Eric Osuji Ojimaka I of Umudim fall into the same category as traditional institution.
Yet, the sultan, both in the context of ethnic politics and within the larger preview of Nigerian politics in considerable nature of Eze Eric Osuji Ojimaka I of Umudim.
Traditional rulership has been defined by Ndoh (2002) as an institution established in accordance with customs and beliefs of the people. This leadership or institution is handed over from generation to generation especially in Northern, Western and some parts of the Eastern part of Nigeria.
As regards to this, it is important to state clearly who and defined who a traditional ruler is, according to Eze Eric Osuji (1999) wrote in national conference of traditional rulers held in Kaduna of Nigeria in 1983. Eze Eric Osuji defined “as a person who by virtue of his ancestry, occupies the throne of an area and who has been appointed to it in accordance with the customs traditions and belief of a particular area whose throne has been in existence before the coming of the white men in Nigeria.
Dusuku committees defined a traditional ruler as “the person who by the virtue of his ancestry occupies the seat or the throne of his ancestors, and who has been appointed in accordance with the custom and tradition of an area and has sovereignty over the people of the area.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
Research methodology is the general strategy applied in the collection and analysis of the data, which is necessary for answering questions at hand. It is the different ways, methods and systems a researcher uses in administering and collecting data in a research study (Kumar, 2005:2). This chapter, therefore, shall concentrate on the research design, sources of data, population of the study, sample determination methods, methods of data collection, the research questions, hypotheses as well as the tools of statistical analysis.
Research Design
Being a purely empirical study, it will require the survey design in which there are fixed sets of questions and responses for quantitative comparisons. According to Osuala (2005) the survey depends chiefly on the techniques of sampling a large number of subjects by interviewing and/or the use of questionnaires.
In this survey a sample of the population in Enugu State is employed since it is absolutely impossible to study the entire population of the beneficiaries of the contributions of the Catholic Church to ensuring peace and harmony even in a more limited area than the state.
CHAPTER FOUR
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
In order to effectively evaluate the role of the Traditional Ruler in ensuring peace and harmony in Enugu State, a survey of four selected communities was undertaken. In all, a total of 400 respondents were randomly selected from the communities. It is worthy of mention that the administration and retrieval of research questionnaires was a huge success as it recorded an almost 100% percent.
This chapter offers the presentation and analysis of data collected for the study with the help of the questionnaires. Such tools as tables were used to present the data for easier analysis and comprehension. Facts from secondary sources were also used to support the outcome of the analysis of data gotten from primary sources. All these will be presented in frequency tables, and variables such as age, sex, educational background and occupation of respondents will be used to test the responses.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMEDNATIONS
Conclusion
Based on the findings of this study, it was concluded that traditional rulers have put in place several measures in ensuring peace and harmony which have assisted in maintaining law and order in their community. Though she is divine she has human elements. She is therefore involved in human communal affairs. She cannot keep aloof from the question of ensuring peace and harmony. In the words of the fathers of Vatican II, “the joy and hope, the grief and anguish of the men of our time, especially of those who are poor or afflicted in any way, are the joy and hope, the grief and anguish of the followers of Christ as well” (GS :1).
From the research it is safe to conclude that the Traditional Rulers’s involvement in ensuring peace and harmony is necessitated by her solidarity with the human conditions. The primary source of data also enables the researcher to conclude that the Traditional Rulers is significantly involved in ensuring peace and harmony. It shows that there is no area of ensuring peace and harmony in Enugu state that does not bear the imprints of the Traditional Rulers’s solidarity with the community.
Recommendations
Despite the enormous impact of the Traditional Rulers on ensuring peace and harmony in Enugu state the study revealed certain areas the Traditional Rulers needs to step up her efforts in order to continue its relevance to the communities. The following are therefore recommended.
In the area of education the Traditional Rulers has no close rival. She is not only a pioneer educator but has also the greatest number of schools in Enugu state, as a non-governmental organization. However, the cost of education in these schools seems to depreciate the aim of these schools. It is true that these schools have more culture of inculcating morals and academic excellence, yet the high cost of school fees and tuitions makes these schools exclusive rights of the rich in the community. This study is wont to recommend that the ecclesiastical authorities in charge of these institutions consider the economic situation of the average parent and take a critical look at the charges.
In a similar way, the remuneration given to teachers in these schools ought also to be considered. It is a common knowledge in the state that teachers in Catholic schools are by far less paid than their counterparts in other private or government school. It is a long story of poor remuneration for teachers. It dated back to era prior to the government take over of schools. It is therefore not surprising that not a few teachers applauded that face off between Traditional Rulers and government and have been apprehensive at the recent return of these schools by the Enugu state government. This study therefore recommends that the Traditional Rulers toe the path of honesty and integrity it preaches by adopting the standard of remuneration set by the Nigerian government.
In the area of socio-economic concern and poverty alleviation the Traditional Rulers has done much but not enough. She has written numerous documents on the economy and the plight of the poor. However, many of her leaders and members have not lived up to the bloated doctrine of the “preferential option for the poor.” It is not uncommon to see some leaders and members of the Traditional Rulers engage in white elephant projects and exorbitant lifestyle, at the negligence and often at the expense of the poor who lacks three square meals daily. It is therefore recommended that the Traditional Rulers correct such erring members and leaders, and make for equitable distribution of the wealth of the earth since it is meant for all persons and peoples.
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