NB247
The House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution said on Thursday it has received 31 requests for the creation of new states in the country.
Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who made the announcement at plenary, read a letter from the committee, outlining the conditions that must be met before any state creation requests could be approved.
According to the letter, the proposals included five from the North Central, four from the North East, five from the North West, five from the South East, four from the South South, and seven from the South West.
Among the states being considered are Okun, Okura, and Confluence (Kogi); Benue Ala and Apa (Benue); FCT State; Amana (Adamawa); Katagum (Bauchi); Savannah (Borno); and Muri (Taraba).
The states also include New Kaduna state and Gujarat states from Kaduna state; Tiga and Ari from Kano, and Kainji from Kebbi state; Etiti and Orashi as the 6th state in the South East, Adada from Enugu, Orlu and Aba from the South East.
They also include Ogoja from Cross River, Warri from Delta, Ori and Obolo from Rivers; Torumbe from Ondo, Ibadan from Oyo, Lagoon from Lagos, and Ogun, Ijebu from Ogun, Oke Ogun/Ijesha from Oyo/Ogun/Osun states
According to the letters, section 8 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, outlined specific requirements that must be fulfilled to initiate the process of state creation.
The letter said “a request to the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new state shall only be passed if a request supported by at least two third majority of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and the Local Government Council in respect of the area, is received by the National Assembly.
“Local Government Advocates for the creation of additional local government areas are only reminded that Section 8 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, applies to this process.
“Specifically, in accordance with Section 8.3 of the Constitution, the outcome of the votes of the State Houses of Assembly in the referendum must be forwarded to the National Assembly for fulfillment of state demands.
“Proposals shall be resubmitted in strict adherence to the stipulations. Submit three hard copies of the full proposal of the memoranda to the Secretariat of the Committee at Room H331, House of Representatives, White House, National Assembly Complex, and Abuja.
“Sub-copies must also be sent electronically to the Committee’s email address at info.hccr.gov.nj.
“The Committee remains committed to supporting the implementing efforts that align with the Constitutional provisions and would only consider proposals that comply with the stipulated guidelines.”
Efforts by the National Assembly to create new states had failed to yield results since 1999, as every legislative cycle had ended without any conclusion on the process.
Successive assemblies had to start to process afresh only to end up finishing without creating any states.
Political analysts observe that the exercise is a trip to nowhere and act of given false hopes to anxious constituents who are angling for more states.