Amidst shouts of “yes”, the delegates to
the National Conference yesterday
approved the creation of 18 more
states, which would be shared among
the six geo-political zones.
However, the conference approved the
creation of one more state for the
South-East, which is going to be
different from the 18 new states.
The new state for the South-East was
based on the fact that out of the six
zones in the country, only the zone has
five states while others, except North-
West, which has seven states, have six
states.
It was agreed that the new 18 states
would be shared in such a way among
the six zones that no zone would have
more state than the other.
The proposed states are Aba, from the
present Abia State, Katagum from
Bauchi State, Ijebu from Ogun State,
Amana from former Sardauna
Province, Apa from Benue State,
Anioma State from Delta State,
Savannah from Borno, Etiti from
South-East, Njaba/Anim from
Anambra and Imo States, Gurara from
Kaduna, Ghari from Kano State, Adada,
New Oyo from Oyo State, Orachi from
Rivers State, Ogoja from Cross River
State and Kanji from Kebbi and Niger
States.
It was agreed that the two states from
both the South-South and South-West
would be determined later.
They rejected a motion that the
number of states in Nigeria should not
be more than 55.
However, a delegate to the conference
who is also a Senior Advocate of
Nigeria, Femi Falana condemned the
decision to create more states.
He said the action was at variance with
the decisions and resolutions earlier
taken by the conference on the need
by government to cut cost.
“Having regard to the several
resolutions of the national conference
on the need to reduce the costs of
governance I found the
recommendation for the creation of
additional 18 states rather
contradictory,” Falana said.
On states that want to merge, the
conference said that a referendum
should be conducted in each of the
states that wants to merge with 65 per
cent of the eligible voters in each of
those states approving merger and
that the National Assembly by
resolutions passed by a single majority
of membership, approves of the
merger.
On the running of local government,
the delegates said that states were
free to create or reduce local
governments.
It was agreed that all government
officials must use made in Nigeria
cars.
The National Conference also
yesterday voted that the presidency
shall rotate among the six geo-political
zones of the country.
They also said the rotation should be
between the northern and southern
regions.
This was one of the decisions taken by
the delegates at their plenary while
considering reports of the Committee
on Political Restructuring and Forms of
Government.
But the conference failed to list the
order through which the office would
rotate.
The delegates also said the six geo-
political zones be constitutionalised.
Though it was also agreed that the
states were free to have their
constitutions, but the request to
change the name of Adamawa State to
Gongola State, was overwhelmingly
rejected by the delegates.
It was also agreed by the delegates
that in the case of the death, or
impeachment of the President or he
becomes incapacitated, his deputy
would no longer assume office
automatically.
Rather, they said that, the Vice
President shall only act as President
for a period of 90 days within which
election will hold.
“In the absence of the death of the
president, the Vice President shall act
as president for a period of 90 days
within which an election to the office
of the President shall be held,” the
conference said.
They argued that since the office of
the President would be rotated among
the six geo-political zones, it would be
unfair to allow the Vice President to
take the turn of other zones by
automatically assuming power.
It would be recalled that President
Goodluck Jonathan assumed office
following the death of President
Umaru Yar’Adua in 2010.
Some prominent northerners said it
was wrong for Jonathan to have again
run for the office of the president since
Yar’Adua did not complete the
expected eight year tenure allocated
for the northern part of the country.
The delegates rejected that the
President should run for a single term
of six years, and favoured the present
arrangement of two terms of four
years.
It was also agreed that the President
and his deputy should run on a joint
ticket, thereby rejecting the
recommendation that the President
should pick his deputy among the
members of the National Assembly
after he must have won.
The conference also supported the
unicameral form of government. This
implies that there would still be the
Senate and the House of
Representatives.
It was also agreed that the office of the
Governor shall rotate among the three
senatorial districts in the state while
the office of the chairman of a local
government council shall rotate within
the local government areas.
The conference also suggested that
that the Independent National
Electoral Commission should divide
the council to two or three equal parts
as the case maybe for the purpose of
electing the local government
chairman.

www.thetidenewsonline.com/2014/07/04/confab-approves-creation-of-19-states-rotational-presidency/

more leaders = more corruption

New States Approved by Confab :

Apa from Benue State,
kainji from Kebbi
Katagum from Bauchi,
Savannah from Borno,
Amana from Adamawa,
Gurara from Kaduna,
Ghari from Kano,
Etiti from South East,
Aba from Abia,
Adada from Enugu,
Njaba from Anambra and Imo,
Anioma fror Delta state,
Ogoja from Cross River State,
IJebu from Ogun State
New Oyo State from Oyo State.

Nice one, more opportunities for politicians, but they should tackle the issues of indigen and non indigen in the south east

I hope it empowers Minority Tribes in the North.

If this was the reason, then Adamawa should have had more states.

Anyways, more leaders can only spell more corruption and waste of resources building new offices,etc.

them for make every street state nah so that everybody go b politician