Sunday Igboho and his co-separatists should dialogue with President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime, says the Olowu of Owu-Kuta, Adekunle Makama.

The Osun monarch condemned secessionist calls, describing them as unpatriotic.

He stated this while fielding questions from journalists on Sunday.

The monarch, who is the Council of Owu Obas and Chiefs’ chairman, stated, “The agitation for secession by some separatists and unpatriotic Nigerians is uncalled for. I am not in support of it.”

The traditional ruler advised the agitators to dialogue with the government, saying that any serious government would not tolerate their calls and actions.

“No serious government will like to see the country in turmoil. The separatist agitation is like waging war against the state. The banditry and Boko Haram insurgency that we have at hand are more than enough. So I will advise the agitators to dialogue with the federal government,” he added.

Speaking on the issue of insecurity, Mr Makama noted that the federal government should ensure the survival of local governments and the traditional institution to detect and curb crimes at the grassroots.

“If local governments are well-organised and allowed to survive, the security challenges will be solved to a large extent. As traditional rulers, we don’t have constitutional roles, even though we are principal stakeholders. Since the advent of democracy, no administration has ever remembered traditional rulers.

“As stakeholders in the security architecture, we, traditional rulers, need to be catered for, while our roles should also be fashioned into the constitution,” he said.

(NAN)