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From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
The South East has lost an estimated N17.4 trillion in the last 29 years due to the absence of a sixth state, which would have contributed significantly to federal allocations and local government revenue.
This staggering figure, adjusted for inflation and devaluation, highlights the region’s ongoing economic and political marginalisation, with profound implications for representation, federal receipts, and governance.
Chancellor of the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership and former Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, said this at the Otu Oka-Iwu (Association of Igbo Lawyers) event recently.
“The absence of a sixth state in the South East is not just a political oversight but a direct financial loss for our region. In the last 29 years, the South East has lost over N17 trillion, which could have fuelled economic development, improved infrastructure, and enhanced our political representation in the National Assembly.
“This loss is unsustainable, and it is time for us to come together and take the necessary steps to stop these ongoing losses.”
Chidoka, a former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission, called on South East leaders to unite and follow the constitutional process for state creation as stipulated in Section 8(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Now is the time for the South East to formally request the creation of the sixth state, following the prescribed constitutional process. This is the only way to stop the under-representation and federal allocation losses,” Chidoka added.
He urged the South East leaders to play national politics, putting aside internal divisions, and work together to secure the region’s future.
His Media Assistant, Ikechukwu Okafor, noted that his call for action on creating the sixth state was a change in narrative and request for action on the South East leadership.
“Leaders in the region must now take the necessary steps to ensure the creation of the sixth state, reversing decades of under representation and underdevelopment,” he stated.
