[size=14pt]Request for the Creation of an Urhobo State[/size]
Presented to the Senate Committee on Review of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution
Port-Harcourt, Tuesday, 15th December, 2009

By Olorogun Senator Felix O. Ibru
President-General, Urhobo Progress Union (UPU)

Protocol

Permit me to begin my contribution with an expression of support and solidarity with other ethnic nationalities, civil society organisations and human right groups in the Niger Delta for their commitment and sacrifice in the pursuit of political and socio-economic justice in the region.

The Urhobo people view the Niger Delta Crises from two broad angles:  political and socio/economic.  The political aspect is commonly referred to as “constitutional crises” or the “crises of federalism”.  The socio/economic aspect of the Niger Delta crisis is associated with pervasive poverty, loss of means of livelihood and lack of basic infrastructure required for meaningful development in the region.  It is interesting that the current determination to “bring development” to the Niger Delta coincides with national agitation for a constitution review.  I wish to present the Urhobo position as follows:

REPEAL OF ALL OBNOXIOUS LAWS

We call for the repeal of all obnoxious laws which have contributed to the subjugation and exploitation of the Urhobo people and Niger Deltans.  Among these are:

1. The Petroleum Decree of 1969, which dispossessed the Niger Deltans of their God-given resources.
2. The Territorial Waters Acts, Cap.428, (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990) which seized water resources of the Niger Delta.
3. The Exclusive Economic Zone Act, Cap 116 (LFN, 1990)
4. The Land Use Act Cap. 220 (LFN, 1990)
5. The Revenue Allocation Act Cap. 16.
6. The Oil Navigable Act Cap. 337.
7. The Oil Terminal Dues Act Cap. 339.
8. Petroleum Production and Distribution Anti-Sabotage Act. Cap. 3354 Oil Pipeline Act Cap. 338.
9. Associated Gas Re-Injection Act Cap. 26.
10. National Inland Waterways Authority Act.
11. Petroleum Profit Tax Act Cap. 354.
12. Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission Act Cap. 392.
13. Minerals and Mining Act No. 34, 1999.
14. Lands (Title Vesting, etc) Act

FISCAL FEDERALISM:

We advocate a return to the Fiscal Federalism Principle (ownership and control of resources by states), which was the Revenue Allocation Principle in the 1960-63 Nigeria constitution.  Under that constitution, each region retained 50% of revenue generated from the region.

The restoration of fiscal federalism must include the repeal of section 44 (3) of the 1999 Constitution which provides that: “Notwithstanding the foregoing provision of this section, the entire property in and control of all minerals, mineral oils and natural gas in, under or upon any land in Nigeria or in, under or upon the territorial waters and the Exclusive Economic Zone of Nigeria shall vest in the Government of the Federation and shall be managed in such manner as may be prescribed by the National Assembly.”

CREATION OF AN URHOBO STATE:

We call for the creation of more states in Nigeria, especially where such an exercise will promote the growth and development of the nation. Such states should definitely include an URHOBO STATE.  The proposed Urhobo State would more populous than several existing states in Nigeria.  An Urhobo state will also be demographically bigger than 74 countries in the United Nations’ list of countries by population. Examples of such sovereign states are Gabon, Cyprus, Equatorial Guinea, Luxembourg, Qatar, Sao-Tome and Principe, Iceland, Comoros, Seychelles, Caribbean countries (except Cuba and Jamaica), East Timor, Swaziland, Malta, Mauritius, Montenegro, Brunei and Belize. 

An Urhobo State will be economically viable because of its resource potentials and contiguous territory which traverses land and coastal areas. Urhobo land has 15 Oil and Gas fields with over 400 oil wells.  The Utorogu Gas Plant in Out-Jeremi is the largest Gas Plant in Africa South of the Sahara. The proposed state has two gas-fired electricity plants at Ughelli and Sapele.  Apart from oil and gas, the proposed Urhobo state is endowed with other mineral resources such as Sand, Silica, Kaolin, Clay, Byrite and forest resources such as Timber, Oil palm, Raffia Palm and Rubber.

The Proposed Urhobo state has 8 rivers with access to the Atlantic Ocean at least one seaport and several jetties. There is an airport at Osubi and 30 sites for river ports.

The proposed Urhobo state has a Petroleum refinery and Petro-chemical plant, one steel plant, one Salt Refining Plant and various industrial clusters.  It has about 15 urban centres, 60 bank branches, 3 universities, 3 Polytechnics and 2 Colleges of Education. It also has over 1000 Government Primary and Secondary Schools and well over 2000 Churches, Mosques and Temples.

Urhobo Natural Resources as Bases for Industrial Development

Crude Oil:
Urhobo territory hosts numerous oil wells in 15 oil fields. Thirteen (13) of the fields are operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), while Pan Ocean Oil Corporation and Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) operate one field each.  The fields are: Ughelli North L.G.A. (Afiesere fields, Eriemu, Evwreni, UQCC), Ughelli South L.G.A. (Utorogu Fields, Osioka, Ughelli East and Ughelli West, Urhoka in Oviri-Olomu), Ethiope West L.G.A. (Ovadje in Oghara, Oben in Sapele), Ethiope East L.G.A. (Erhobaro – Orogun, Erhoike-Kokori), Udu L.G.A. (Abura Field 1 and 2) and Okpe L.G.A. (Akpobome Field). The oil produced in the proposed Urhobo state is sulphur-free (sweet crude oil). It is a premium crude oil recognized as the best crude oil in the international oil market.

Natural Gas:
Urhoboland is one of the leading producers of Natural Gas in the Western Niger Delta.  The establishment of major gas-based industries in Urhoboland attests to the abundance of natural gas reserves in the area. The gas-based facilities include the following:

A.    Otorogu Gas Plant, Otu-Jeremi

As stated earlier, this is the largest gas-processing plant in Sub-Saharan Africa.  It processes Natural Gas for the Utorogu-Escavos-Lagos gas pipeline, the Egbin Thermal Station in Ikorodu, the Shagamu Cement Factory, Industrial Estates in Ikeja, Ogba and Ilupeju in Lagos and Agbara in Ogun State. The gas also feeds the West African Gas Project that takes Nigerian Gas to Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana.  It is proposed that the gas pipeline will be extended to Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone.  Under the NATIONAL GAS MASTER PLAN, the pipeline network to deliver gas to all major cities and industrial zones in the Federation will be fed to a large extent by natural gas from Urhobo land.

B.  Delta Power Station (I – IV) Ughelli

This is the first gas-fired thermal electricity station in South-Western Nigeria.  Commissioned in 1966, the station supplies electricity to Benin, Lagos and other parts of the country via the National grid.

C.   Ogorode Power Station, Sapele

The Ogorode Power Station which was commissioned in 1978 feeds major Nigerian cities and large scale electricity consumers via the National grid.  Electricity supply from the station was stepped down for consumers in Sapele and environs only in 2007.

Rivers And Waterways:
Urhobo territory is home to rivers and streams which have endured from primeval times.  The rivers are Ethiope River, Jamieson River, Ologbo/Osiomo River, Warri River, Forcados River, Okpare Creek, Edor/Obanegbe Creek, Esaba Creek, Oleri Creek, Eghwu/Oguname Creek, Olota Creek, Arhavwarien Creek, Okumesi Creek, Ogunu-Ekpan Creek, Elume Creek, Hole in the Wall Creek.

The rivers are a treasure-trove of fishes, shrimps, prawns, periwinkles etc, which can sustain a booming fish industry.  Apart from being a means of transportation, the rivers and waterways are also a source of water supply. Their aquatic splendour constitutes potential landmarks for tourism.

Alluvial Deposits:
Urhoboland is endowed with large deposits of clay, sharp sand, silica and drilling mud which can be found in Otor-Edo, Ughevwughe, Esaba-Otutuama, Iwhreogun, and most areas of Ughelli South.  These deposits are raw materials for Wall Tiles, Roof Tiles, Floor Tiles, Ceramics, Pottery and Road Construction.

Agriculture:
Urhobo is endowed with a vast arable land of about 4000 sq km.  This land is suitable for the cultivation of Cassava, Oil Palm, Raffia Palm, Rice, Plantain, Banana, Yam, Sweet Potato, Beans, Groundnuts, Coconut, Coco-yam, Pepper, Melon, Mango, Orange, Paw-paw, Sugar Cane, Pineapple, Alligator Pepper, Spices, Bamboo, Timber, Rubber, etc.  The Urhobo environment has also been most conducive for Poultry, Piggery, Grass-cutter rearing, Rabbitery, Snailery and other forms of animal husbandry.  Fish farming is also a viable agricultural enterprise thriving in Urhoboland.

Oil Palm:
The Oil Palm industry in the proposed Urhobo State has potentials for dozens of agro-industrial products and the employment of thousands of people.  The Oil Palm industry was the bedrock of Urhobo economy for over 150 years before the advent of petroleum.

Rubber:
Rubber thrives in the proposed Urhobo state.  There are numerous rubber plantations owned by private individuals in most communities and a large rubber plantation owned by PAMOL (a division of UAC) at Oghara.  The proposed Urhobo State hosts a significant proportion of rubber processing factories in Nigeria.

Timber:
The proposed Urhobo state is situated in the tropical rain forest. There is an abundance of trees for lumber and wood based industries.  The African Timber and Plywood (AT&P) factory located in Sapele in Urhoboland was the largest hardwood factory in the world.

Rafia Palm:
Raphia hookeri and vinifera thrive very well in Urhobo area.  The industrial products from raffia palm include Gin, Beverages, Yeast, Paper, Brushes, Bags, Sieves, Medicinal Oils and Balms.  The raffia palm is also used for Ethanol and Bio-fuel production.

Cassava:
Cassava is cultivated all over the proposed Urhobo State.  Cassava-based Industry encompasses the following:  Garri Grains, Edible Starch, Industrial Starch for the manufacture of car Batteries, Textiles, Coating for Drugs and Pharmaceutical Products, Plaster of Paris, Paper, Cassava Chips/Pellets, Animal Feeds, Bread and Biscuits, Cassava leaves for export, etc.

Fisheries:
With the extensive Waterways and Wetlands, Urhoboland is a natural habitat of fishes.  Studies have identified over 100 species of fishes in this part of the Niger Delta.  There are great potentials for a fishing industry including aquaculture that will create jobs and wealth for thousands of people in the proposed state.

Transport Infrastructure:
Urhobo is the epicenter of the road transportation network in the Western Niger Delta.  The Federal Inter-State road network comprising four major Federal Highways converges at Effurun.  They are the Benin-Warri Highway, Effurun-Ughelli-Patani-Port Harcourt East-West Highway, Effurun-Eku-Agbor-Ubiaja-Auchi Highway and the Warri Port – Delta Steel Company Highway.


CONCLUSION:
The proposed Urhobo State will consist of contiguous Urhobo kingdoms which comprise homogeneous communities with common cultural and traditional values.

The proposed Urhobo State is very viable because it is well endowed with Oil and Gas, other Mineral Resources and it is propitious for agriculture and aquaculture.  The economic and social sectors, including educational and health care delivery, can sustain the proposed Urhobo State.

Over the years, the Urhobo people have contributed significantly to the progress of the country in terms of personnel resources, business, industry, politics, education etc. The Urhobo people strongly desire a state of their own in order to harness and utilize their collective energies and resources to the benefit of the Nation.  The creation of an Urhobo State will enhance the growth and development of Nigeria.


PRAYER:
The Urhobo people request that an Urhobo State be created out of the present Delta State of NIGERIA.


Olorogun Senator Felix O. Ibru
President-General
Urhobo Progress Union (UPU)

Olorogun Lucky Oghene-Omoru J.P.
Secretary
UPU Committee on State Creation

http://waado.org/Organizations/UPU/president_general/urhobo_state/request_submission.htm

Cooooooool Urhobo got every thing.
long live people of Urhobo

This is very good and i hope they also give the Anioma people their own state. I have always advocated that instead of creating states for the people let us dissolve the present states and let everyone propose what they wish so we can create states once and for all.

if the mountain wont run from mohammed, then mohammed wants to run from the mountain.


una sha wan break up this Delta state by hook or by crook


una no go fight war so?

lord have mercy

It is a matter of misguided illusion when antagonists to the disintegration of Nigeria into nation states point to not being over populated, mineral resources and ongoing political retrogression in Nigeria as the countermeasure to such demand for sovereign states.

There is nothing more valuable than patriotic and nationalist feelings among group of individuals wanting a country that they could call home. Large or small population and mineral resources are not igniting factors to the nationalistic combustibles. The colonial contraption called Nigeria must be disintegrated.

If Urhobo people have concluded that they are numerical superior to certain aforementioned countries of world as listed in the previous post, the progressive union should be requesting for an independent sovereign nation. I had wished that people of Urhobo had woken up earlier than now.

They should support the creation of Anioma state that is long overdue. When that happens, what is left in Delta state will be a chiefly Urhobo state.
The Anioma (Delta Igbo) is the largest group in Delta state with 9 Local councils while the Urhobo has 8. The clamour for Anioma state has been on since 1951 and we will not tire or retire until Anioma state is created.

^^^ Urhobo have always supported the creation of Anioma State. However, there are some people who will not support Anioma state because it will mean one more state for South South and these were the reasons Ebonyi was chosen ahead of Anioma.

Sounds great lets give everyone in Nigeria their own state for each tribe. 250 STATES SOUNDS GOOD

You know fit manage one state you want create another one, God go punish una

@sjeezy,

LOL

fashrola:

You know fit manage one state you want create another one, God go punish una

donjon:

@sjeezy,
LOL

lmfao

Even if we convert all the 774LGAs to states.
Nigerians will still ask for more states.

SapeleGuy:

^^^ Urhobo have always supported the creation of Anioma State. However, there are some people who will not support Anioma state because it will mean one more state for South South and these were the reasons Ebonyi was chosen ahead of Anioma.

There is nothing wrong in creating Anioma state from the south-south as the other geopolitical zones are advocating for an additional state. Anioma state is ripe for creation and it is even bigger than Bayelsa state that was created in1996 for South-south zone.
There may not be actually any need for more states but one of the zones has only 5 states and there is the need for parity in that sense.
In my own opinion, Anioma state may be created and zoned to the south east.
Second, Njaba may be created from the south-east. Third, Igbo speaking areas of Rivers state may be given a state and zoned to the south-east.

Why should urhobo state be created?is there an ikwerre state,igbo state,hausa state,tiv state,kanuri state,yoruba state etc.
States should not be named based on ethnicity.

Let's create Urhobo State, Itsekiri State, Ikwere State, Anioma State, Afemai, Ijaw State, Tiv State, Nupe State etc.

No let's create Ikeja State, Owerri State, Nnewi State, Aniocha State, Surulere State, Ilorin State, Osogbo State, Birnin Kebbi State. Let's turn the 774 local govt areas into states so that ALL our problems will be solved.

We are great jokers in this country. We are like the man whose house is on fire, but rather than quenching the fire or rescuing his property, he is busy pursuing the rats fleeing of his house.

From three regions to 4 in 1963 and 12 states in 1967 to 19 in 1976 to 21 in 1987 to 30 in 1991 and to 36 states in 1996 - all these years, our country has been getting worse. Rather than look for solutions, we are busy prolicking like Nero while Nigeria burns. What unseriousness!

Abagworo:

Why should urhobo state be created?is there an ikwerre state,igbo state,hausa state,tiv state,kanuri state,yoruba state etc.
States should not be named based on ethnicity.

Those already largely exist. What are the wazobia states based on?

@JProspero
The difference between "Surulere State, Ilorin State, Osogbo State, Birnin Kebbi State" etc and an Urhobo state is clearer than daylight.
The Urhobo state is based on sound economics and it is viable, how much revenue can the other places mentioned generate? An Urhobo state can even thrive as a country in its own right, while those other places are barely surviving.
It is insulting to the Urhobo people to compare their proposed state to a few economically underperforming towns; a large proportion of the nations GDP derives from Urhobo land.

Me I want my state to be carved out of the Abuja- Aso Rock, Three arns zone and CBD.
We have all the resources and manpower you can think of. Form Presidents to Ministers
, legis;lators, CBN and NNPC etc etc.

Beaf:


@JProspero
The difference between "Surulere State, Ilorin State, Osogbo State, Birnin Kebbi State" etc and an Urhobo state is clearer than daylight.
The Urhobo state is based on sound economics and it is viable, how much revenue can the other places mentioned generate? An Urhobo state can even thrive as a country in its own right, while those other places are barely surviving.
It is insulting to the Urhobo people to compare their proposed state to a few economically underperforming towns; a large proportion of the nations GDP derives from Urhobo land.

We always believe that a place is only viable if it has oil. Meanwhile the richest countries of the world are not the oil-producing countries. Again, before oil was discovered in Nigeria, Nigeria was richer and happier than today. If I had my way, I would burn all the oil in Nigeria and see if Nigerians will die. This oil has so much made us lazy and unimaginative.

If we go by oil production, then the towns of Bayelsa and Rivers should be carved into states.

Pls let us discuss serious problems that face us.

JProspero:

We always believe that a place is only viable if it has oil. Meanwhile the richest countries of the world are not the oil-producing countries. Again, before oil was discovered in Nigeria, Nigeria was richer and happier than today. If I had my way, I would burn all the oil in Nigeria and see if Nigerians will die. This oil has so much made us lazy and unimaginative.

If we go by oil production, then the [b]towns [/b]of Bayelsa and Rivers should be carved into states.

Pls let us discuss serious problems that face us.

Is Urhobo a town?
I don't see why you mentioned Bayelsa. Is it not an Ijaw state? If there is Bayelsa, why not an Urhobo state? If there are Ekiti, Ondo, Ebonyi and kebbi why not an Urhobo state?
The reality in Nigeria is that viability = oil. Period. We produce nothing and are not showing any willingness to produce anything, until the day we start thinking differently don't compare us to the rest of the World.

This is a quotation from the topic and the genesis of Nigeria's problems (which the majority of us wish to sweep under the carpet):

REPEAL OF ALL OBNOXIOUS LAWS

We call for the repeal of all obnoxious laws which have contributed to the subjugation and exploitation of the Urhobo people and Niger Deltans. Among these are:

1. The Petroleum Decree of 1969, which dispossessed the Niger Deltans of their God-given resources.
2. The Territorial Waters Acts, Cap.428, (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990) which seized water resources of the Niger Delta.
3. The Exclusive Economic Zone Act, Cap 116 (LFN, 1990)
4. The Land Use Act Cap. 220 (LFN, 1990)
5. The Revenue Allocation Act Cap. 16.
6. The Oil Navigable Act Cap. 337.
7. The Oil Terminal Dues Act Cap. 339.
8. Petroleum Production and Distribution Anti-Sabotage Act. Cap. 3354 Oil Pipeline Act Cap. 338.
9. Associated Gas Re-Injection Act Cap. 26.
10. National Inland Waterways Authority Act.
11. Petroleum Profit Tax Act Cap. 354.
12. Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission Act Cap. 392.
13. Minerals and Mining Act No. 34, 1999.
14. Lands (Title Vesting, etc) Act

FISCAL FEDERALISM:

We advocate a return to the Fiscal Federalism Principle (ownership and control of resources by states), which was the Revenue Allocation Principle in the 1960-63 Nigeria constitution. Under that constitution, each region retained 50% of revenue generated from the region.

The restoration of fiscal federalism must include the repeal of section 44 (3) of the 1999 Constitution which provides that: “Notwithstanding the foregoing provision of this section, the entire property in and control of all minerals, mineral oils and natural gas in, under or upon any land in Nigeria or in, under or upon the territorial waters and the Exclusive Economic Zone of Nigeria shall vest in the Government of the Federation and shall be managed in such manner as may be prescribed by the National Assembly.”

You see this people with their ojoro logic. Iceland is a country with 350,000 people - why can there not be an Urhobo State?

Nigeria has too many ethnicities for 36 states to be enough. So long as the states are not parasites and can fend for themselves, create them.

They forget that if you give some justice to the poor man the rich man will not need a weapon.

SapeleGuy:

You see this people with their ojoro logic. Iceland is a country with 350,000 people ?

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Why is the population of Iceland 350,000?  The answer lies in the name of the country -  bad comparison, olodo.

I fully support this idea for an Urhobo state. I love my people, the Urhobos but I am not so keen on the 'Nigeria' concept as I believe Nigeria is a failed state.

ndu_chucks:

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Why is the population of Iceland 350,000?  The answer lies in the name of the country -  bad comparison, olodo.

Oga Mosquito, your theory doesn't work for Iceland, Malta, Luxembourg, Brunei or even Lichstenstein. Self determination is the bedrock of democracy.

Fear dey catch you? nah state we talk o, no be country, yet.

Yet another state? Some individuals simply want to have direct access to resources to benefit themselves and their cronies.

If the Urhobo region has all that is mentioned in that list, why will a state do anything different apart from creating an expensive bureaucracy as an additional expense on the people?

The comparison to populations of countries is a tad silly - I'm sure Mainland LGA in Lagos has a comparable population with the Urhobo - should it now become a state by virtue of that?

There are hundreds of millions of people in a province in China - why isn't there a demand for state creation there with the attendant costs?

The value in that presentation is in repealing obnoxious laws and allowing local communities benefit more from oil revenue and not the central government.

SapeleGuy:

You see this people with their ojoro logic. Iceland is a country with 350,000 people - why can there not be an Urhobo State?

Nigeria has too many ethnicities for 36 states to be enough. So long as the states are not parasites and can fend for themselves, create them.

They forget that if you give some justice to the poor man the rich man will not need a weapon.

There are over 200 ethnic groups - does that mean there must be a state for each one? How illogical is that?

You cannot keep creating states ad infinitum, it is unreasonable given the costs of the bureaucracy on the economy.

Even when talking about Economic strength, California is big enough to be a top 10 world economy if looked at alone, yet it remains part of the US - must you create a state in order to achieve a group's aims and objectives?

If creating states solves problems, then Nigeria would have been a much better place since the number of states has multiplied tremendously.

@EloSela
Why U no go support the idea.
See ya mouth like Urhobo State.

I'm of the opinion that population should not be used as a basis for denying people the right to self determination. If people want their mineral resources to benefit them that is not a bad thing, charity begins at home.

Debosky- For your information there are hundreds of millions of people calling for independence within China. California and other american states remain part of the US because True and Fiscal Federalism is practiced, they have their own laws, own police etc. They also have 1 language and culture in common yet they have 50  states - go figure

Your logic fails woefully, look at state creation in Yoruba land, by your reckoning they speak 1 language therefore they don't need more than 1 state after all they existed as 1 region before.

SapeleGuy:

I'm of the opinion that population should not be used as a basis for denying people the right to self determination. If people want their mineral resources to benefit them that is not a bad thing, charity begins at home.

They have not been denied a right to self determination - Urhobos are not prevented from voting, from running the LGAs in their area or contesting for governor in Delta, or even president of Nigeria - what right to self determination are you talking about here?

For your information there are hundreds of millions of people calling for independence within China. California and other american states remain part of the US because True and Fiscal Federalism is practiced, they have their own laws, own police etc. They also have 1 language and culture in common yet they have 50  states - go figure

50 states, but most of those states are bigger than Nigeria - go figure. Will creating Urhobo state lead to fiscal federalism? Obviously not - with that in mind, if that is your objective, state creation will not solve that.

Your logic fails woefully, look at state creation in Yoruba land, by your reckoning they speak 1 language therefore they don't need more than 1 state after all they existed as 1 region before.

Where did I say I supported state creation in Yoruba land?

The creation of states has the primary impact of increasing the bureaucracy and allowing yet another individual to bear the title governor and become a beneficiary of the trappings of office - it often doesn't bring development any closer to the people nor allow them a right of 'self determination'. It often just creates a new parasitic class on resources - a group to debate allowances, perks and mansions.

Another mistake you make is the wrong comparison with the US - the states as you mention them pre-dated the US, and were not carved out later on out of agitation.

debosky:

They have not been denied a right to self determination - Urhobos are not prevented from voting, from running the LGAs in their area or contesting for governor in Delta, or even president of Nigeria - what right to self determination are you talking about here?

Nigerians are denied the right to self determination on a daily basis.

debosky:

50 states, but most of those states are bigger than Nigeria - go figure. Will creating Urhobo state lead to fiscal federalism? Obviously not - with that in mind, if that is your objective, state creation will not solve that.

Treat every ethnicity with equality, why is that so hard?

debosky:

Where did I say I supported state creation in Yoruba land? 

Calm down, that was my example

debosky:

The creation of states has the primary impact of increasing the bureaucracy and allowing yet another individual to bear the title governor and become a beneficiary of the trappings of office - it often doesn't bring development any closer to the people nor allow them a right of 'self determination'. It often just creates a new parasitic class on resources - a group to debate allowances, perks and mansions.

On this basis let us revoke states in regions where they speak 1 language as they obviously don't need them.

debosky:

Another mistake you make is the wrong comparison with the US - the states as you mention them pre-dated the US, and were not carved out later on out of agitation.

The Urhobo nation consists of 22 divisions and predates the colonial construct called Nigeria, so what is your point here?

SapeleGuy:

Nigerians are denied the right to self determination on a daily basis.

Quit being ambiguous - what right to self determination are you obtaining by creation of a state?

Treat every ethnicity with equality, why is that so hard?

What does 'equality' imply? That Urhobos get 6 states since the Yorubas have 6 states? As an example of course.

On this basis let us revoke states in regions where they speak 1 language as they obviously don't need them.

I am in support of revoking states as they have not solved the problems they were supposed to do, but have instead led to a waste of resources.

Besides, be careful how you define the 'ethnic group' - an Ekiti might tell you he isn't the same as an Egba man and so many further distinctions and sub distinctions that can be made - where does it stop?

The Urhobo nation consists of 22 divisions and predates the colonial construct called Nigeria, so what is your point here?

My point is clear - those 'divisions' are located in LGAs and Delta state - why can they not function within those existing structures? Secondly, did the Urhobo decide to join the union of Nigeria? The political antecedents of Nigerian states and US staes are completely different and thus a poor comparison at best can be achieved.

Let's put the concept of self determination into context. In the beginning, we had ethnic plurality, then came colonisation, then external self determination i.e. freedom from the colonial master, then internal colonisation vis a vis 3 main ethnicities/ regions, then the first attempt at internal self determination via the creation of the mid west region and the creation of Rivers and other states since.

We have to ask why were these states created in the first place? Does the original need still exist?
Can we honestly say that the process of internal self determination has peaked or is anywhere near doing so?

The Urhobo's are merely trying to establish their pre colonial sovereignty, all ethnicities who want to do this should be allowed to do so.