By Goddy Esom Obodo
State Creation issue in Nigeria has become a thorny and difficult one due to the stringent constitutional provision in the 1999 Constitution.
Since the beginning of 3rd republic in 1983, the Ibos and indeed Nigerians at large have clamoured for more state to be created to address certain imbalances in the socio-political & economic concerns of
this country.
One can recall that the Ibos are more vocal in this agitation and reasons for this are not far fetched. The Ibos are the only ethnic group that inhabit the geographical area of Nigeria known as South East zone
though dovetailed into South South, and North Central Zones of Nigeria and it is only this South East zone that is made up of five states only, while other zones has six states each except North West that is made up of seven solid states.
It is this imbalance that brought about the serious agitation for the creation of one new state out of the south east zone to bring the zone at par with the other four zones of South-south, South-west, North-
central and North- East.
Till today, this agitation has not received the desired attention from those who have the powers to do the needful. Since it appears to be very difficult creating new states due the constitutional hiccups, an
equalization state creation is possible.
Most documentary presentations to governments since then had advised for the creation of one additional state out of the south East zone for equalization purposes. For instance, the senate on the 16th day of June 1983 recommended for the creation of a sixth state in the south east so as to correct the imbalance. The presidential committee on the review of certain constitutional issues chaired by Alfa Belgore- former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) in the report it submitted to the President on 10th July
2012 strongly recommended that for the purpose of equity and fairness, an additional state be created in the South East zone of Nigeria.
The South East zone of Nigeria is therefore no longer asking that new states be created in Nigeria as prescribed in section 8 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, we are asking for an EQUALISATION STATE
for the following reasons. that section 14 (3) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) specifically states that the composition of qovernment of the federation or any of its agencies andthe conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote National unity and also to command national loyalty thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few
ethnic or other sectional aroups in the government or in any of its agencies.
- Section 16(2a) of the same constitution states “the state (Nigeria) shall direct its policy towards ensuring the promotion of a planned and balanced economic development”, There must not be a decoupling of one section from the other. It follows that for section 14(3) and section 16(2a) of the constitution of Nigeria to have any meaning, there must be inter ralia: equality of states within the six political zones.
The South Easterners seem to be saying that things cannot continue be like this. It is a collective opinion that an equalization state should as a matter of urgency and for the continued peace and unity of this nation
be created out of the South East Zone now that a true democrat (Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu) is leading the country as President. There is no other better time than now.
The creation of this equalization state from the south East might not need to undergo through the rigours involved in States creation process as stipulated in the 1999 constitution but through a presidential fiat to be legitimized by the National Assembly evoking the doctrine of necessity and matter of urgent importance.
Luckily ANIM STATE Comprising part of Imo and part of Anambra states with Orlu as capital has prepared itself long ago for this EQUALISATION STATE from the South East zone.
Recall that the agitation for this creation started as far back as 1983 but when Chief Achike Udenwa became the Governor of Imo state (1999- 2007) he escalated the agitation of this equalisation state with the name NJABA STATE, With Sen. Francis Arthur Nzeribe making case for ORASHI STATE.
Sen. Osita Izunaso while serving in the Senate (2007-201 1) made strong case for the creation of Njaba state out of Imo state as the equalization state of South East. But when HE Sen. Hope Uzodinma won
election into the Nigerian senate (2011-2019) with the support of his brother Sen. Andy Uba of Anambra South senatorial zone he made efforts to resolve the lingering difference between the proposed Njaba
and Orashi states. This was achieved giving rise to what is now known as ANIM STATE (proposed).
In July 2012 a demand for the creation of Anim state as the equalization state of the South East zone was presented to the National Assembly and was followed with the same presentation to the 2013 World Igbo Congress in the united states of America.
Today we are fortunate to have the principal actors of the creation of ANIM STATE (Sen. Izunaso and Hope Uzodinma). These sons of Orlu are now at the center of power, this agitation now has very strong teeth to bite making the creation of the equalization state very possible.
All we need now as South Easterners, is to rlly round this singular agitation by supporting these our principal leaders in this agitation to make the equalization state possible.
We lost this request in the past because of multiple requests for this one equalization state creation. This should not be the case this time around if we actually want to actualize the equalization state. Our Governor Sen. Hope Uzodinma (a goal getter) and Sen. Osita Izunaso, a strong voice in the senate, now in the senate realizing ANIM STATE, as the 6th state of the South East geographical zone, appears very possible.
With this creation there will be balancing in the zones of Nigeria and LGAs in the States, peace and fairness will have returned to the country and South East in particular. For instance, South East states will now have LGAs as follows;
- Abia State
- Ebonyi”
- Enugu
- New Imo
- New Anambra
- Proposed Anim State
Written by
17 LGAS
13 LGAS
17 LGAS
15 LGAS
17 LGAS
16 LGAS
Hon. Chief Goddy Esom Obodo Ph.D
National Secretary, Anim State Creation Movement.
NIGERIA NEWSPOINT
