Shettima hails Emir of Lafia, says traditional institutions crucial to national unity

Vice President Kashim Shettima has reiterated the importance of traditional institutions in fostering national unity and stability, saying Nigeria’s progress depends on leaders who prioritise justice, peace and public service over personal interests.

Speaking on Monday in Lafia during the 70th birthday and valedictory celebration of the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad I, Shettima described the monarch as an exemplary leader whose life reflects integrity, scholarship and commitment to public service.

The Vice President, who was on a one-day working visit to Nasarawa State, said the Emir’s transition from the judiciary to traditional leadership demonstrated the value of disciplined and principled leadership.

“Long before the people of Lafia welcomed him to the throne of their ancestors, this remarkable son of the soil had already inscribed his name into the records of our national life,” Shettima said.

He noted that the Emir’s distinguished career in the legal profession, culminating in service at the Supreme Court, established him as one of the country’s respected jurists before his ascension to the throne.

According to the Vice President, the royal father brought the same values of fairness and justice that defined his judicial career into traditional leadership, contributing to peace and development in the emirate.

Shettima also commended the Emir’s role as Chairman of the Nasarawa State Council of Chiefs, saying his leadership had strengthened harmony in a state characterised by diverse ethnic, religious and cultural groups.

“He has shown that traditional authority, when exercised with wisdom, remains among the most powerful instruments of national cohesion that we possess,” the Vice President said.