The paramount ruler of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, has pledged his unwavering support to the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) in Osun State, following his appointment as the royal patron of the body.

The appointment was conferred during a ceremony held at his palace in Iwo, Iwo Local Government Area, where the monarch described the honour as a call to greater service.

Expressing his appreciation, Oba Akanbi vowed to leverage his position to promote community policing and bridge the gap between law enforcement agencies and grassroots communities.

“For finding me worthy of this royal patronage, I pledge to support the PCRC in every possible way. I will assist especially in areas where they lack resources. I also appeal to the government to provide support for the committee through two critical institutions,  the police and traditional rulers,” he said.

The Oluwo emphasized the pivotal role of traditional institutions in maintaining peace and security across communities. He called on the Federal Government to increase financial support for monarchs, describing them as the frontline defenders against insecurity.

“When it comes to the community, the king rules. If the king is empowered, the police are empowered, and the work of the PCRC becomes easier and more effective. Unfortunately, traditional rulers are not properly funded. We spend from our personal resources to serve our people. That’s why I’m appealing for at least 10 to 20 percent of budgetary allocation to be reserved for traditional institutions,” he added.

Oba Akanbi lamented that the current allocation to traditional rulers is less than five percent, which he described as grossly inadequate. Citing personal interventions, he revealed that he has spent personal funds on infrastructure and health projects in his domain, including donating medical equipment worth over a billion naira and funding road repairs.

The monarch also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for various initiatives aimed at youth empowerment, including student bursaries and funding through the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFund).

“Step by step, Nigeria will become better. I believe in Nigeria, and I believe this country will become the greatest and best nation in the world,” he declared.

Oba Akanbi reaffirmed his commitment to his new role as royal patron of the PCRC, expressing hope that a more secure and prosperous Nigeria could be achieved through stronger community collaboration and recognition of traditional leadership.

He urged the Osun State Government to fulfill its promise of restructuring the traditional system, with appropriate recognition and funding, noting that any meaningful fight against insecurity must begin at the community level.

Speaking earlier, the Osun State PCRC Chairman, Popoola Ogundoyin, said the honour was bestowed in recognition of the monarch’s outstanding contributions to the state’s security architecture and expressed confidence that he would continue to use his influence to support the committee’s mission.