The plan to create a state in the Southeast by certain members of the House of Representatives has been criticised by human rights campaigner Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, who calls it an inappropriate priority.
Agbakoba, who was former President of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, stated this yesterday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lagos.
As an alternative, he promoted regionalism as a solution to the nation’s numerous issues, contending that the majority of Nigeria’s 36 current states were unworkable.
Recall that a bill sponsored by Representatives Godwin Ogah, Miriam Onuoha, Kama Nkemkama, Princess Nnabuife, and Anayo Onwuegbu, calling for the creation of Etiti State out of the states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo from the southeast geopolitical zone, was recently passed for second reading in the House of Representatives.
Ogah (LP, Abia), who chaired the discussion of the bill’s general principles, stated that creating Etiti State was a step towards assuring equitable regional development and efficient governance, not merely for administrative convenience.
Recall that some legislators and interested parties had also advocated for the union of states in the South-South and South-East to form Anioma State.
Sen. Ned Nwoko (PDP-Delta North), one of the call leaders, claimed that the establishment of Anioma State would address what he called the South East geopolitical zone’s marginalisation. He asserts that the creation of Anioma State will result in an increase in the South East’s population, land area, and resource base.
However, Agbakoba said Nigeria currently had no need for more states. In order to reflect the true variety of the nation, he contends that legislators and other political players ought to be more concerned with reorganising Nigeria into a regional administration.
According to Agbakoba, the majority of the 36 states were financially unviable, insolvent, unable to fund infrastructure development, and unable to even pay the suggested minimum salary, therefore he was against adding further states.
