Tension reigned supreme at the ongoing National Conference  in Abuja on Thursday when delegates debated over the highly sensitive issue of state creation in the country.

 

The debate grew tense and divided the delegates into northern and southern divide and also into geo-political interests.

 

There were arguments and counter arguments immediately questions were raised on the issue based on the recommendation in the report of the Committee on Power Devolution.

 

At the end of the consideration of the report, the delegates agreed to create additional 18 states across the six geo-political zones of the country, but with stringent conditions attached to the process.

 

As part of the conditions, delegates agreed that the 18 states sought to be created must be viable and have at least one natural mineral or solid resource.

 

In the ensuing hot arguments and exchanges before the resolutions were passed, different views were raised.

 

For Alhaji Buba Galadima, who also supported the recommendation, new states should not be dashed out to zones. “If states have to be created, it should be done across the country, not just any zone because the idea of zone is not in the constitution,” he argued.

Some other delegates warned that issue of state creation was not the reason that brought them to National Conference, consequently, they said they should not waste time on this.

 

But Dr Daniel Mabo advised delegates to do what is just, because there is “marginalisation everywhere, so we should not dwell on it too much as not to affect the essence of coming here.”

 

After taking decision on states to be created, Deputy Chairman of the conference, Pro.Bolaji Akinyemi, read out the new proposed states are Orashi, New Oyo, Etiti, Savanna, Adada, Njaaba-Anim, Apa, Gurara, Ijebu, Ogoja, Kainji, Katagun, Amana, Sadauna, Aba, and Anioma, among others.

 

Other resolutions by the conference revolved around reversal of the current national anthem to the old one, where they insisted that it captures the feelings, yearnings and aspirations of every Nigerian.

 

Also, some Southern delegates complained about the imbalance in the number of local government areas in their region compared to the north, but some other Northern delegates said local government areas should be recognised as a third tier of government and should equally get direct funding from the Federation Account.

 

The conference committee report on Political Restructuring and Forms of Government had

recommended that the issue of local government administration should be transferred to state governments.

 

It was specifically recommended that states should be allowed to create the number of local governments they can cater for.

 

However, it is important to note that going by the recommendations, local government will cease to be recognised as a third tier of government and will also seize to get funding from the Federation Account.

 

The delegates considered total autonomy for State Houses of Assembly and it was agreed upon.


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This is the second time in less than ten years that Nigeria decided that a sixth state should be created in the southeast area. First was during the last NPRC during OBJ administration. But people of southeast, do not celebrate yet. The last time, it was an Igbo Senate president who threw the recommendation away together with other recommendations - the now famous throwing away the baby with the bath tub, as it was dubbed by the press then. In the last one year when creation of new states came up in the NASS, Igbo constitution amendment committee chairmen searched and got a most frivolous excuse that requests by groups for new states were not signed by elected local govt council officials. WHY? The truth is that these legislators do this when the location for a sixth state in the southeast does not favour their designs and political pursuits. Ideally and considering the history of how the five states in the southeast were carved, as well as considering viability, population and cultural affinity, a sixth state in the southeast ought to be carved from Anambra south and Imo West senatorial zones, or from any of the two states. The last state - Ebonyi - in the southeast was carved from Abia and Enugu states.

There is no guarantee that every motion adopted at the confab will be passed into law at the end of the day........ The power lies with the legislature........ Let them keep fooling themselves

South east has been seriously marginalized . if it were the north , I guess we will not be able to curtail their barbarism in driving home their agitation

This country should be splitted.