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By Chinelo Obogo, Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja and Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Mixed reactions have trailed the announcement by the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitution Review of plans to create an additional state for the South East.
The South East has five states while other geo-political zones, apart from the North West, which has seven states, have six states.
At the weekend, the committee voted to create an additional state in the South East to correct the imbalance, and set up a subcommittee to look at the 55 proposals for new states across the six geo-political zones.
A lawmaker explained that they agreed that the demand for an additional in the South-East should be granted in the spirit of equity and fairness.
Reacting to the development, founder and former national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chekwas Okorie, faulted the National Assembly over their support for the creation of a new state in the South East.
Speaking to Daily Sun, he said the legislators were merely grandstanding as they know the constraints in the constitution regarding the creation of states.
“They are just grandstanding. Quite frankly, they can only deceive themselves and not those who already know the constraints placed in the constitution for the creation of states.
“Those who imposed the 1999 constitution on Nigeria and who created by fiat the states we have in Nigeria, including the local government we have, provided such constraints for another creation of either local government or states, to the extent that it is like an impossible task. Those in the National Assembly know that they are simply trying to mislead themselves, not even the public. When I see them talk about agreeing to create one additional state in the South East or this and that, I get amused and at the same time get angry that they think we are stupid.
“To create states cannot be achieved by the mere consensus or majority vote of even all the members of the National Assembly. You need the two-thirds of the states of the federation, the state assemblies of the federation. Those who put this constitution in this manner created 19 states in the North, including Abuja. Abuja is about 20 states in the North, since Abuja has the status of a state, then you now have 17 in the South. The North has been the beneficiary of the status quo. How will you achieve 24 states’ consensus or approval to pass that constitutional requirement when the whole of the South has 17 states?” Okorie said.
Also reacting to the development, former Enugu State governor, Okwesilieze Nwodo, said appealed to other geo-political zones to support the creation of additional state in the South East.
Nwodo, who spoke with the Daily Sun, said: “It is a long standing demand. As we speak, we are short of one state compared to other zones and short of two states compared to the North West. And you know the resources that go into a state every month and go into the number of local governments.
“All the local governments in the South East are not up to the local governments in Kano and Katsina put together. Now, you come to representation, you have the smallest number of councillors, because these councillors come from wards in the local governments.
“We have the fewest number of local governments and that tells you how much we get as allocations every month, as allocations to develop our local government and we have only five states that receive monthly allocations. We have only a fraction of members of the House of Representatives, compared to other zones. So, those have thrown us back.
“At every national conference, we come up with this matter. Even at the Oputa panel, we also presented this grievance. It is just that it is more rigorous for states to be created under a civilian administration than in the military. But we think we have made sufficient representation, especially in this fourth republic to justify an additional state being created in the South East.
“If this country is to be built on fairness and equity, we don’t see why other zones will not support us. In previous constitutional conferences, they have always agreed that a new state should be created in the South East. In all constitutional conferences, other zones have supported that the South East, as a priority, needs a new state.”
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Nwodo added that in the event that the National Assembly wants to create more states across the country, there are several demands for new states in the South East that could also be considered to address the inequality suffered by the zone.
“Although other state demands have arisen from other zones, it is not only one zone that is being demanded in the South East. If they want to create two states in every zone, we have up to four demands in the South East, to meet whatever the country wants to do.
“Definitely the current situation speaks volumes about the marginalization of the South East, which had become entrenched in the Nigerian polity since after the civil war.”
But former Secretary General of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Mr. Anthony Sani told Daily Sun that additional state creation is not necessary because the existing 36 states cannot survive economically without subvention from the federal government.
“I am not sure if additional states are necessary at this point in time, considering many of the ones in existence are not viable. If FAAC stops giving subvention, many of them would not be able to survive. Our NASS should not help multiply efforts centers that add no value to the polity. Rather, they should concentrate on real issues of real concern to real ordinary Nigerians,” Sani said.
Meanwhile, the Anioma State Creation Movement has commended the support for the creation of a new state.
The movement, in a statement by its Media Director, Tonnie Oganah, described the decision as a bold and historic move toward achieving equity and restoring balance in Nigeria’s federal structure.
Oganah said the NASS approval marks a major breakthrough in the long-standing agitation for an additional state in the South East.
According to him, the NASS endorsement represents a significant step toward ensuring justice for the Igbo nation and fulfilling the constitutional promise of fairness among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Oganah expressed the movement’s gratitude to the National Assembly for recognising the South East’s long-standing demand for parity.
He said that the decision reflected the spirit of inclusion and national balance.
“Anioma people support the proposal as the first step to equalising the Igbo nation in Nigeria. For fairness and stability, all six zones of Nigeria should have an equal number of seven states each, just like the Northwest.”
Oganah also highlighted the economic benefits of state creation, saying it would create jobs, empower young people, and drive grassroots development.
According to him, Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North, is working tirelessly to actualise the Anioma State creation in 2025.
“The creation of Anioma State is not just a local ambition, it is a step toward restoring fairness in Nigeria’s federal structure and empowering the Igbo people politically and economically.
“Even though we have lived peacefully in the South-South, our cultural identity remains clear. Anioma means ‘the good land’, and it deserves a place among its brothers in the South-East,” he said.
