State creation: South East stakeholders makes very tough argument

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A joint committee of the Nigerian Senate and the House of Representatives has suggested that the country be divided into six more states.

Following a two-day retreat in Lagos, which was co-chaired by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu and Deputy President of the Senate Barau Jibrin, the legislators came to the resolution.

The committee unanimously decided to create six more states in the nation after reviewing 55 requests.

During the retreat, they reviewed 278 requests for the creation of local governments, two boundary revisions, 55 state creation requests, and 69 laws.

As a result, the number of states in the nation would rise from 36 to 42 if the plan is implemented.

According to the resolution, each of the six geopolitical zones—North West, North East, North Central, South West, South South, and South East—would see the establishment of one new state.

South West seven, South East six, North West eight, North East seven, and North Central seven will now make up South South.

With the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, recognized as a state, the North Central may also boast seven states. Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, and the Plateau are all added.

Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe are the six states of the northeast.

There are currently seven states in the Northwest: Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara.

With just five states—Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo—the South East clearly lacks one.

The six states of South South are the same as those of South West: Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, and Rivers.

The South East, which felt marginalized in that way, made the loudest complaint during the discussion of state creation, which focused on balancing the numbers.

The South East needed a single state to establish justice and equity, according to regional stakeholders and other well-meaning Nigerians.

But according to the joint committee’s plan, a region would have eight states, others would have seven, while the South East would only have six.

The recommendation has drawn criticism from some political players in the area, who claim that it will increase inequality.

Elder statesman Dr. Chike Obidigbo was more worried about what he called the unnecessary rancour over an additional state for the South East when he spoke to ZINGTIE about the issue.

Obidigbo said that there is no need for the ongoing disputes about where the new state for South East should be divided.He emphasized that there was a clandestine attempt to sow discord among Igbo and expressed regret for the political ploys used in the attempt to solve South East’s structural marginalization.

He pointed out that leaders of the Igbo nation under the aegis of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo should call a meeting to carefully consider the various demands in order to reach a peaceful conclusion, rather than inflaming the political climate with conflicting agitations for the additional state.

“Adada is on record as one of the oldest demands for the creation of state.

“But, then, we have heard the merits of creating an Etiti State by carving out homogenous communities from the existing five states in the South East.

“In my opinion, if Etiti State is given priority consideration, Anioma should come as a separate state when the proposed one state from each of the various six geopolitical zones would be considered.

“I am compelled to take this position due to the fact that unlike during the military regimes, the state creation effort would still go through a referendum.

“And, I do not think that Delta State House of Assembly would readily vote for an Anioma State as an appendage of the South East,” Obidigbo explained.

He revealed that some outside forces were behind the arguments and proposal for Anioma State to be connected to South East, noting that the political strategy of those promoting that agenda is to create division among the Igbo community due to the harmful ideas of core and periphery Igbo.

He stated, “I think the issue of geography should be respected. If the Igbanke people in Edo State agree to be part of Anioma and Igbo communities in Benue and Kogi agree to be part of Adada, it would be left for Igbo leaders to decide on which state to take pre-eminent consideration.

“And, don’t forget the political office holders in those areas would be disposed to vote according to where they feel that their electoral bread is well buttered. I appreciate what Senator Chinedu Nwoko is doing in terms of reaching out, but the ultimate decision would be that of a group and not a single individual.”

Additionally, Dr. Chuka Nnabuife, Managing Director of the Anambra State Civic and Social Reformation Office, told ZINGTIE, “I don’t actually engage in discussions of marginalization or non-marginalization.”

“First, I must commend the National Assembly’s initiative of recognizing the need for more states.

“Take it or leave it, whether people make the argument of having many states, it doesn’t hold water. It’s just like saying that having many business entities will hurt the economy of a company. The highest it will do is that you bring those entities, entities that can actually attract funding loans. So it brings development.

“And anybody who has been in Nigeria when we had twelve states, when we had 19 states, 30 states and now that we have 36 states, will know that there has been remarkable improvement in the quality of life.

“However, there is a need for equity and justice. There is a need for balancing the equation, not because of any argument as regards Southeast or whatever.

“It is because of the fact that equity and fairness are served, that there should be a balance of the number of states in the Southeast with what is in other regions.

“There’s even a region that currently has seven. Others have six, but the South East has five. So if you are adding one more state across the regions, it means that the South East will still be having a shortfall, and there is a need for that shortfall to be balanced.

“I am for the creation of more states. I am also for the creation of an additional state in the Southeast.

“So, if we are creating one more state in the southeast, I’m okay, but if we are creating one more state in the southeast and creating additional states for the other regions the imbalance will go on.

“I am suggesting two states in the South East, then one in other regions, and if possible, none in a region that already has seven.That is what we call equity and justice.”

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