THE Deputy President of the Senate, who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Constitution Review, Senator Ike Ekweremadu said on Tuesday that the hopes of Nigerians for the creation of new states at the end of the ongoing constitution amendment exercise could remain a pipe dream.


The Senator, who spoke to newsmen at the National Assembly on Tuesday, ahead of the zonal public hearing on the amendment exercise starting on Thursday, said that state creation was a cumbersome exercise according to the processes set out in Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution.


According to him, “it is like taking a big snake through the eye of the needle” adding that nobody can do anything other than follow the constitutional provisions.


He also declared that state creation is a cumbersome exercise, while advising proponents of state creation not to expect that the National Assembly could just wake up and announce new states.


The senator said: "The issue of state creation is very rigorous; 109 senators are involved, 360 members of the House of Representatives are also involved and all the members of the 36 states Houses of Assembly are involved. There is certainly no way an individual will have an agenda and muscle in that agenda. It's basically unthinkable.


"On this issue of state creation, I will also refer you to section 8 of the Constitution; things are clearly stated there and there's no way an individual will just wake up and say he wants to create a state.”


The senator also said that Nigerians appeared to be confusing the issue of state creation with constitution amendment, adding that states can only be created by following the procedure highlighted in Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution.


Ekweremadu also disclosed that so far, his committee has received 56 requests for new states but noted that proponents must learn to do the right thing by following the dictates of the constitution.
He said that Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution made it cumbersome for additional states to be created, adding that, as part of the exercise, a zone requesting for additional states must have the support of states in the other zones.


He stated that the job of creating new states rests on the entire states of the country, adding that it might however be possible that the Senate can advise on how many states that should be created based on the proposals already submitted to the National Assembly.


The Deputy Senate President also debunked the allegation made by Kano state governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who had said that the constitution amendment was skewed in favour of the South-East, while also declaring that the South East geo-political zone will not expect its lawmakers to create a new state by fiat.


He said: “It is unfair to insinuate such because all the 109 senators are involved; the exercise also involved all the 360 members of the House of Representatives, as well as all the members of the state Houses of Assembly.


“There is no hidden agenda being pursued either by the Senate or the House of Representatives. There is no issue of any state or zone being shortchanged. It is a mere distraction but we remain focused on the issue at hand,” he said.


Ekweremadu spoke further: "I don't think the South-east would expect either myself or any person, to announce that they are creating a state either tomorrow or next tomorrow. That is not what the constitution says.


"They would naturally follow the procedure which the constitution has provided and I hope that this...I have deliberately explained this so that nobody would say that I came back from Abuja and I didn't bring a state for him.


"That is not what the constitution says. The constitution has laid down the procedure for state creation. Anybody looking for state creation must naturally follow the procedure as laid down by section 8 of the constitution. There's nothing anybody can do about it. I think we need to do more enlightenment for Nigerians to understand this process clearly...


"It's not just enough to come to the National Assembly with requests for state creation.”


Ekweremadu also said that, "you would require the votes of the Senate, the House of Representatives, the state assemblies, councillors and the ordinary people from where the state would be created.
"I don't think it's something someone can sit down in the National Assembly or anywhere and say, 'oh, he has created a state.' It's impossible to have a hidden agenda in this process. The constitution is clear on how it would be done and it must be done transparently and there's no hiding anything under the table.”
http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/lead-stories/50872-new-states-not-likely-ekweremadu

That is not what the constitution says. The constitution has laid down the procedure for state creation. Anybody looking for state creation must naturally follow the procedure as laid down by section 8 of the constitution. There's nothing anybody can do about it. I think we need to do more enlightenment for Nigerians to understand this process clearly...[size=18pt][/size]

What do we need new states creation that all those useless corrupt leaders are clamouring for? Is it not to create avenue to further synfund or resources and money? Damboroba shege. let us manage the ones we have first before thinking of creating more...

hehe.

The easiest way NOT to get something done in Nigeria is to ask people to discuss it.