Lagos gov’t partners traditional rulers on conflict resolution

Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Hon Muslim Folami, has restated the State Government’s commitment to rejuvenating the abandoned traditional rulers’ role in maintaining peace, stability and harmonious co-existence among residents in their various communities.

Hon. Folami stated this, Monday at the Lagos Airport Hotel while speaking at a One-Day workshop organized by the State Government for the Traditional rulers in Lagos with the theme, “Roles of Traditional Rulers As Community Developers and Managing Communal and Intra Communal Conflicts”.

The Commissioner charged all Traditional Rulers in the State to ensure that they educate rural people on Government projects, policies and programmes as they relate to their communities.

He also urged them to coordinate all activities on developmental projects in their respective domains to get better results.

The facilitator, Mrs. Olutoyin Falade, noted that community development is a way of strengthening civil society by prioritizing the actions of communities and their perspectives in the development of social, economic and environmental policy.

According to her, “Community Development is a skilled process and part of its approach is the belief that communities cannot be helped unless they themselves agree to this process. Community Development has to look both ways, not only at how the Community is working at the grassroots, but also at how responsive key institutions are to the needs of local communities”.

She urged traditional rulers o be conscious of their roles in ensuring even development in their various communities through the promotion and maintenance of peace, security, economic, cultural values and heritage.

While imploring them to embrace effective communications, friendly and harmonious relationship among their people, Falade noted that their initiative and desire to promote stability in their community will lead to sustained development and improved standard of living of the people.