Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed has presented staffs of office to 19 traditional rulers with a charge to build bridges of harmony, understanding, and peaceful co-existence among their people and neighbours.
The governor, at the presentation in Ilorin on Wednesday, urged the traditional rulers to deeply reflect on people’s peculiarities and use their position to build on the strengths that come from diversities and universal brotherhood.
According to Governor Ahmed, “the grading and upgrading of traditional rulers is a standard administrative procedure guided by extant laws and regulations rather than political considerations, as wrongly claimed in some quarters.”
“It is also a function of the capacity of the relevant local government councils to meet the obligations of grading and upgrading traditional rulers,” Gov. Ahmed.
Dr Ahmed admitted that the traditional rulers had been a strong pillar of support for his administration, describing them as sources of peace in their various communities that have also contributed significantly to the success of government programmes.
The newly upgraded traditional rulers are:
1. HRH, Oba Mufutau Lawal – Onipee of Ipee
2. HRH, Oba AbdulRasaq Afolabi – Olojoku of Ojoku
3. HRH, Oba AbdulRasaq Abioye – Olukotun of Ikotun
4. HRH, Oba Yakubu Buari – Olomu of Omupo
5. HRH, Oba Adebayo Kolade – Olora of Ora
6. HRH, Oba Johnson Dada – Oloro of Oro-Ago
7. HRH, Oba Samuel Adelodun – Owa L’obbo of Obbo-Aiyegunle
8. HRH, Oba Rufus Adebayo – Owa L’obbo of Obbo-Ile
9. HRH, Oba Busari Olarewaju – Owa of Eruku
10.HRH, Oba Ibikunle Adekanye – Alaran of Arandun
11. HRH, Oba Joseph Babalola – Alaran of Aran-Orin
12. HRH, Oba Olusegun Rotimi – Obajisun of Aiyedun
13. HRH, Oba Subair Adeyeye – Oludofian of Idofian
14. HRH, Oba Aliyu Yusufu – Oba of Babanla
15. HRH, Oba Omoniyi Banigbe – Olusin of Ijara-Isin
16. HRH, Oba Joshua Olutade – Oniwo of Iwo
17. HRH, Oba Salaudeen Adeyeye – Onijagbo of Ijagbo
18. HRH, Oba Billy Aransiola – Olola of Olla
19. HRH, Oba Gabriel Adewoye – Olowu of Owu-Isin