The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, has said that Nigeria’s insecurity challenges were not insurmountable, expressing confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s approach in handling in handling them.
The 44th Olubadan gave this affirmation on Friday while on a thank you visit to the President at the State House following Tinubu’s attendance at his coronation ceremony in September 27th last year.
The traditional ruler noted that while insecurity remained the country’s most pressing challenge, current efforts by the government indicated a clear commitment to restoring safety and stability nationwide.
“I don’t think it is insurmountable but by and large we believe that the president is tackling it correctly now.
Ladoja urged the President to further strengthen interventions in food security and healthcare, stressing that access to farmlands was most crucial to further strengthen food security.
The Olubadan also called for improved healthcare infrastructure, emphasising the need for standard hospitals capable of providing quality medical care to Nigerians, while encouraging the Federal Government to sustain and deepen its efforts across critical sectors affecting citizens’ welfare.
“Well, we expect the president to work more on , We expect the government to work more on the situation of the food. We expect them to look at the situation of health. We should have standard hospitals where we can treat our people. But the major problem we really now have is the problem of insecurity. Farmers find it difficult to go to their farms. And it is already coming to the south also.”
Speaking on ongoing economic reforms, Oba Ladoja lauded the economic policies of the Tinubu led administration adding that economic stability remained central to national progress. He expressed optimism that ongoing reforms of the Tinubu administration would yield positive outcomes.
“So I believe that by and large the economy has to be fixed and it’s been fixed. We will hope that by the time hes leaving in 2031, we will have put Nigeria where all of us will be proud of.
The traditional ruler expressed the view that Nigeria’s present situation was not as dire as it was often portrayed, despite the scale and complexity of the challenges facing the nation.
The monarch pointed out that states currently have greater financial capacity than in previous years, enabling them to better meet their obligations, a development he said should complement federal efforts.
“If you know from where hes coming, you know that he knows what he’s doing. That is what is most important. He was able to guide Lagos from where it was to where he left it. So I’m sure that the situation in Nigeria might not have been as even bad as it was.
“The problem is that Nigeria is more complex than the state because of the fact that not all of us have the same notion about what we want in Nigeria. But nonetheless, the states have more money than we had when we were governors and they are able to meet their commitments than what we are doing as a government.”
Ladoja added that he also used the occasion to convey the appreciation of Ibadan people to the president for attending the coronation of the 44th Olubadan and over recent developments in the country.
“Since On 26th of September, I have been trying to come and thank him for finding the time to come to my coronation, So this is an opportunity for me because I came for the Daily Trust dialogue. So it is an opportunity for me to come and thank him and to tell him that we are very happy with what is happening in the country.”
The monarch noted that there was growing satisfaction with the direction of national affairs.
