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By the time the national conference convened by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014 concluded its assignment, 18 new states had been created and proposed for presidential approval via an executive bill to the National Assembly. States approved by the conference were Aba, Adada, Anioma, Amana, Apa, Edu, Etiti, Ghari, Gurara, Ijebu, Kainji, Katagum, New Oyo, Njaba-Anim, Ogoja, Oil Rivers, Ose, and Savannah. They cut across the six geopolitical zones of the country. They also had the overwhelming voting support of the majority of the delegates.
According to the list of the new states, Aba state carved out of present Abia state was to have Aba North, Aba South, Isiala-Ngwa North, Isiala-Ngwa South, Obingwa, Osisioma Ngwa, Ugwunagbo, Ukwa East and Ukwa West as local government areas with its capital at Aba. It was followed by Adada state carved out of Enugu state, which was to consist of Igbo-Etiti, Igbo-Eze North, Igbo-Eze South, Isi-Uzo, Nsukka, Udenu, and Uzo-Uwani as local government areas with Ukehe as its capital. Amana state was also created out of the present Adamawa state with Hong, Madagali, Maiha, Michika, Mubi North, and Mubi South as local government areas while its capital was Mubi. Also created was Anioma state, made out of Delta state, with local governments listed as Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Ika North East, Ika South, Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, Oshimili North, Oshimili South, Ukwuani. It was to have its capital at Asaba while Apa state, created out of Benue state would have Ado, Agatu, Apa, Obi, Ogbadibo, Oju, Okpokwu, Ohimini, Oturkpo as local governments and its capital at Oturkpo.
Edu state was also carved out with capital city at Bida while Agaie, Bida, Edati, Gbako, Katcha, Lapai, Lavun, and Mokwa formed its local government areas and Etiti state, carved out of the southeast states would have its capital at Lopka-Nta with Afikpo-North, Afikpo-South, Aninri, Awgu, Ehime Mbano, Isiukwuato, Ivo, Ohaozara, Oji River, Okigwe, Onicha, Onuimo, Orumba-North, Orumba-South, and Umunneochi as local governments. Ghari state was also created to have Bagwai, Bichi, Dambatta, Dawakin Tofa, Gwarzo, Kabo, Kunchi, Makoda, Rimin Gado, Shanono, Tofa, and Tsanyawa as local governments with capital at Dambatta while Gurara state would have its capital at Kachia and made up of Chikun, Jaba, Jema’a, Kachia, Kaduna South, Kagarko, Kajuru, Kauru, Lere, Sanga, and Zango-Kataf local government areas.
There was also Ijebu state with its capital at Ijebu-Ode made up of Ijebu East, Ijebu North, Ijebu North East, Ijebu Ode, Ikenne, Ogun Waterside, Odogbolu, Remo North, and Shagamu local governments. Kainji state was also on the list with Agwara, Borgu, Dango/Wasagu, Fakai, Kontagora, Magama, Mariga, Mashegu, Ngaski, Sakaba, Shanga, Rijau, Yauri, and Zuru as local councils while its capital was at Zuru. Katagum state with Damban, Ganjuwa, Giade, Itas/Gadau, Jama’are, Katagum, Misau, Shira, and Zaki local government areas was to have its capital at Azare.
The New-Oyo state made the list with local governments as Afijio, Atiba, Atisbo, Irepo, Iseyin, Itesiwaju, Iwajowa, Kajola, Ogbomosho North, Ogbomosho South, Ogo Oluwa, Olorunsogo, Orelope, Orire, Oyo East, Saki East, Saki West, and Surulere with capital at Iseyin; while Njaba-Anim state, carved out of present Imo and Anambra states was to have its capital at Orlu and made up of Ideato North, Ideato South, Ihiala, Isu, Njaba, Nwangele, Nkwerre, Oguta, Ohaji/Egbema, Orlu, Orsu, Oru East, and Oru West council areas. This was followed by Ogoja state with its capital at Ogoja and Bekwara, Boki, Etung, Ikom, Obanliku, Obubra, Obudu, Ogoja, and Yala local government areas just like Oil Rivers state which was to have its capital at Ahoada with Abua/Odual, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Akuku Toru, Andoni, Asari-Toru, Bonny, Degema, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, and Opobo/Nkoro councils.
To complete the list was Ose state with its capital at Ikare and comprising Akoko North East, Akoko North West, Akoko South East, Akoko South West, Ose, and Owo local governments as well as Savannah state which has Biu as the capital city with Askira/Uba, Bayo, Biu, Chibok, Damboa, Gwoza, Hawul, Kwaya Kusar, and Shani local government areas.
These states were created out of over 40 applications for state creation. However, the conference settled for these 18 and further ensured that each state had 10 local government areas. These actions answer to the campaign against the reality of zonal marginalisation and non-equality of states which tilted against the southeast. Presently, the region has only five states while the northwest has seven and the northeast, north-central, southwest and south-south have six states each. The creation of those 18 states, and 10 local governments for each state, resolved a problem which implication shows clearly in the composition of representation at the National Assembly which also has its consequences in fiscal allocation to states of the federation on local government basis. Further implications of this structure are seen in recruitments into federal jobs like military and paramilitary on local government basis. These are part of the reasons those 492 delegates agreed that the existing structure was unsustainable.
The interesting thing was that the delegates to the 2014 conference voted unanimously for the 18 new states. This was historic because it was the very first time, since the amalgamation of Nigerian in 1914 that Nigerians were sitting at a conference of the sort, in which focus, purpose and outcome, were not dictated by the country’s political leadership, and agreed among themselves to create new states in such a manner that would capture and recognise the homogeneity of the Nigerian people. All other acts of state creation, before 2014, had been by military fiat and did not take into cognizance the relational issues of tongue and tribe. The 492 delegates were drawn from diverse Nigerian groups including youths, professionals in different fields, politicians, persons living with disability, market women, civil societies, labour movement, and professional bodies, political parties, retired and serving civil servants, retired military and paramilitary forces, judiciary, and the Nigerian diaspora. It also had representation from traditional rulers, states, zonal representatives, ethnic nationalities and religious groups among others.
Though the report of the conference was ignored by the Muhammadu Buhari administration, many have argued that the effort to restructure Nigeria, begun by the Jonathan administration in 2014, ought not to be completely thrashed. Though the All Progressives Congress (APC), boycotted the conference as a political party, there are indications to suggest that the Bola Tinubu administration, may give heed to the patriotic need to dust up the report of the conference and give life to it again, as some of the decisions it has taken so far, were adopted and recommended by the conference chaired by Justice Idris Kutigi, now of blessed memory.
This suggests that rather than beginning the call for state creation anew, proponents of the creation of new states, including regional groups, who are rushing to the National Assembly with fresh applications, (I learned that there are more than 50 such applications already before NASS) should rather go back to the decision taken by 492 patriotic Nigerians 10 years ago, at the first of such conference on Nigerian soil, and seek ways to pressure the incumbent government to begin the task of patriotically restructuring the country from the over 600 recommendations contained in that report. That should actually be the starting point because the job is already halfway done. This is assuming, but no conceding, that we are indeed a serious people.
