Nigeria’s real war is cultural decay –Olu of Warri

From Noah Ebije, Kaduna

Olu of Warri Kingdom, Ogiame Atuwatse III, has declared that Nigeria’s real war is cultural decay, broken homes and eroding values and charged the armed forces to see family and traditional institutions as critical weapons for national security.

The monarch spoke yesterday at the ongoing final training exercise, Haske Biyu, for officers on senior course at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, Kaduna, 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.

According to him, “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 legacy must come from us. What we seek, strong family values and moral clarity, will not come without resistance.”

He 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 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 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 stated.

He argued that the rise of terrorism, banditry and organised crimes reflect the weakening of family upbringing and traditional authority.

“Before punishment came prevention,” he said, recalling how families once instilled moral lessons through storytelling and shared traditions.

According to him, the Nigerian state must stop sidelining monarchs, while expecting them to gather intelligence, mediate conflicts and help keep peace, saying, “without constitutional recognition and resources, traditional rulers cannot deliver fully on these expectations.

“Trust must remain central. Traditional rulers should be seen as unbiased custodians of justice, not mere tools of the state. When communities trust us, intelligence flows and peace is easier to build.”

He described the struggle for moral order as a war that must be fought daily, not on battlefields, but at homes, in schools and communities. “The strength to fight comes from God, but the fight itself must be waged on how we raise our children, how we lead, and how we live,” he added.

The monarch urged officers to see discipline and compassion as two sides of the same coin, saying, “Not just the rod, but also the rice, plain, jollof, fried or even Chinese. Balance of correction and care makes change sustainable.”

Concluding, he challenged both the military and traditional rulers to work together in preparing the future rather than clinging to the past. “The values we uphold today will determine the strength of our nation tomorrow. Traditional institutions will endure, not by resisting change, but by preparing the future,” he said.