Irked by the level of social ills in the country, the Olu of Warri Kingdom, Ogiame Atuwatse III, has said that Nigeria’s real war is not fought with bullets but against cultural decay, broken homes and eroding values.
He charged the military to see family and traditional institutions as critical weapons for national security.
The monarch spoke at the ongoing final training exercise, Haske Biyu, for armed forces officers on Senior Course at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, where he delivered a lecture on “Strengthening Family Values as a Force for National Security: The Role of Traditional Institutions.”
He said insecurity cannot be tackled by arms alone, but by rebuilding the moral foundations of society through disciplined families and credible traditional authorities.
He said: “I stand here not as an expert, but as a family man and custodian of a traditional institution. Victory comes from God, but courage to fight for a legacy must come from us. What we seek, strong family values and moral clarity, will not come without resistance.”
The Olu recalled how two of his uncles, the late Squadron Leader Adebayo Shaw of the Air Force and Colonel Kolawole Shaw of the Army, inspired him with their discipline, punctuality, honesty and courage in adversity, values that shaped his outlook from childhood.
Though he once dreamt of joining the Navy, citing his Itsekiri royal heritage as a maritime people, his late father, Ogiame Atuwatse II, declined his request, reminding him with a Bible verse that “many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
“Although I did not pursue a military career, I have remained convinced of the transformative effect of discipline, order and justice, which the armed forces embody and which society desperately needs,” he said.
He further stressed that while traditional rulers no longer wield formal powers, they remain influential as custodians of values and arbiters of moral authority in communities.
“In a nation where people still identify first with their roots, rulers set the tone. When we embody integrity and discipline, our people follow. That is why traditional institutions remain relevant to national security,” he noted.
The Olu lamented the decline of family discipline and community cohesion, warning that insecurity thrives where moral values collapse.
“Our traditional institutions were the original storytellers, shaping codes of conduct. Even in this digital age, with proper support, we can still influence narratives and norms in society,” he declared.
