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From Tony Osauzo, Benin
Edo-based pressure group, God and People Prayer Parliament, has called for the division of the South-South region into two separate regions.
The group, while commending President Bola Tinubu for his efforts in restructuring the country, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Dr. Dele Oluwatade, noted that the South-South region is the most disadvantaged region of all the regions.
“We wish to call on the South-South legislative caucus of the National Assembly to urgently look at the South-South zone with a view to dividing it into two regions. It’s the most disadvantaged region of all the regions. Take a map of Nigeria and look at the South-South zone.
“Moving from the eastern part to the western part, you have to pass through the South-East compulsorily. Even from Benin, you have to pass through the South-East. Even from Warri, you may have to go through Ughelli to Onitsha, to Aba and so on because of the terrain.
“We advise that South-South be divided into two regions: the former Mid Western region should be resurrected and then the Niger Delta region.
“The two of them are very viable. Let our distinguished senators, Oshiomole and Akpabio and other House of Reps members quickly look at this South-South peculiar situation and see if it can be divided into two,” the group canvassed.
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Besides, following the demand for the creation of more states, the group has called for the reduction of states in the country to 12 states to reduce the cost of governance.
“We suggest that the number of states in Nigeria should be crashed to 12, to reduce the drainpipe democracy effects of multiple governors with multiple personnel and pleasure orientations.
“Each extra governor in a region is a drainpipe of scarce resources. If the number of states are less, there’ll be more money to contribute to the centre from the fewer states or from the region.
“More money, yes. There’ll be reduction in overhead, political overhead, administrative overhead, assistance overheads, special assistance, special this and special that. There’ll be reduction in overhead costs, therefore, more money is available to be shared. The 50 percent will be higher. So, the national assemblies should look at this area of 42 states. America has 50 states, and it’s almost 10 times Nigeria’s size.
“California is half of Nigeria’s size. The number of chief executives of states in Nigeria is too top-heavy compared to America. If America should divide itself with our Nigerian formula, the USA will have 360 states, 360 governors etc, she will not have any money to help anybody. Let our states be proportional to our resources.”
The group drew the attention of the National Assembly to the fact that to successfully run a regional government, terms and conditions must apply.
According to the group, what led to the fall of the first regional government was because the terms and conditions were omitted, particularly intervention clauses. “The central government shouldn’t have jumped into the Western region to meddle in a regional political problem of the Western region. The central government was not invited. Central government just jumped into the system as the superpower of the country and disorganised Western region, which snowballed into where we are right now,” it said.
