The lawmaker representing Oke-Igbo/Ile-Oluji/Odigbo Federal Constituency of Ondo State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Festus Adefiranye, has called for a structured collaboration between traditional rulers and the legislative arm of government.

According to the federal legislator, such synergy is essential and imperative for effective representation and grassroots development.

Adefiranye, who stated this during an interaction with journalists at Oke-Igbo, Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo Local Council Area of the state, maintained that the parallel structure makes consultation with monarchs not merely advisable but necessary for meaningful lawmaking.

The lawmaker noted that monarchs serve as custodians of their domains, making them indispensable to governance processes.

He added that he regularly consults all traditional rulers in his constituency to identify pressing community needs that can be addressed through legislative motions and private member bills.

While speaking on Oke-Igbo town, the lawmaker expressed optimism about the impact of the community’s monarch, whom he described as vibrant and experienced, noting that the traditional ruler had reached the peak of his professional career before accepting the call to serve his kingdom.

He said, ‘Every local government is being represented by the National Assembly, and every constituency has a kabiesi, and that is why every member of the National Assembly consults.

“In my own federal constituency, I do consult all the traditional rulers just to know what is important to them, particularly to the communities, in terms of motions and bills. The role of traditional rulers is very important because they are the custodians of their kingdoms, and that is why you cannot do without them.

“In my own federal constituency, I sponsored a workshop about the security of that environment, and I invited all the traditional rulers in the federal constituency for the workshop, and it was successful.

“From there we have the communique that we forwarded to the governor, and that is one of the motions I took up in the House of Representatives. Presently, he is the president of the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria, and he has done a lot of projects.

“I believe that he will bring his experience to bear in Oke-Igbo and turn it to our promised land. For him to agree to serve his people is something we need to commend him on. It is commendable. I believe that during this time, Oke-Igbo will know it for good.

“In our constituency, I want to say we are very lucky; particularly in Oke-Igbo, we are very lucky to have this type of monarch. He is very young, vibrant and has experience. He got to the peak of his career before he came to serve his kingdom.”