See What The Ooni Of Ife And The Sultan of Sokoto Were Seen Doing In Rivers State

The Sultan of Sokoto , Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar on Wednesday, May 3, laid the foundation for the construction of the Rivers state council of traditional rulers complex.

Performing the exercise in Port Harcourt, Sultan Abubakar prayed God to grant Rivers state Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike the strength to continue to deliver development projects to the people of the state. 

In his speech, Rivers state Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike directed the Contractor and the Special Adviser on Special Projects to ensure the completion of the project, within six months. 

He said: "Money will not be a problem in the completion of this project within the scheduled period." 

"We will give the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers a respectable and ultra-modern complex that all Rivers people will be proud of ",

Governor Wike said. Chairman of the Rivers Council of Traditional Rulers and Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom, King Dandeson Douglas Jaja lauded Governor Wike his decision to construct the edifice for the Rivers Traditional Rulers.

The ground breaking event was witnessed by the Ooni of Ife,Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Amanyanabo of Nembe, King Edmund Dakouru, Rivers State Traditional Rulers and their counterparts from across the country. 

Speaking during the Traditional Rulers Day as part of the Rivers Golden Jubilee celebrations in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, Governor Wike said that traditional rulers are critical in the government's development agenda for the grassroots.

He said: "We shall soon come up with a viable framework to empower our traditional rulers to participate in the initiation, implementation and monitoring of development policies and programmes at the grassroots. "We are doing all these because we believe that traditional rulers are the best partners to translate our plans and aspirations for the grassroots into reality." 

Governor Wike said: "We have no doubt that when the history of Rivers State will be written, the sacrifices and contributions of the traditional institution towards building a peaceful, united and prosperous State will be lined in gold prints.

"Apart from being the custodians of our cherished cultures and traditions, traditional rulers also exert immense political authority over their subjects.These traits make the traditional institution indispensible tool fordriving socio-economic development, especially at the grassroots."

Governor Wike also said: "For us, 27 May 1967 was Liberation Day. Ever since, we have had the autonomy to preside over our local affairs, pursue our aspirations and direct our collective destiny by ourselves. "That is why we are inspired to celebrate our Golden Jubilee and use it as a platform to project into the future. As we look back, we must appreciate the tremendous achievements we have made as a people in the past 50 years."

In a keynote address, Guest Speaker and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar said that the Traditional Rulers Day of the Golden Jubilee Celebration of Rivers State is significant as it brought together traditional rulers from all the country's Geopolitical Zones, with the prospects of fostering unity.

Chairman of the occasion and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi expressed happiness that the Rivers State Government is celebrating traditional rulers for their roles to the growth of the state.

Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers and Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom, King Dandeson Douglas Jaja said that actualization of the creation of the state was made possible by the contributions of Traditional Rulers.

He said that traditional rulers have the capacity to collaborate with the state Government to consolidate on development in the rural areas. The Traditional Rulers Day witnessed the traditional dances, traditional photo exhibition and drama.