By Seyi Odewale
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo has advised that any proposed state creation must address the imbalance in the Southeast, which has the fewest states in the country.
However, the foremost socio-cultural organisation in the South East expressed its reservation that the proposed state creation, as reported, is an exercise in futility.
In a statement yesterday by its Deputy President-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the group reaffirmed that any discourse regarding state creation must prioritise Nigeria’s historically underrepresented southern region.
The statement read in part, “We commend the leadership of the House, particularly the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, for his forthright dismissal of this proposal, which fails to meet fundamental constitutional requirements. His remarks serve not only as a necessary disclaimer but as a vital effort to preserve the integrity and dignity of our legislative institutions.
“The suggestion to create an unwieldy number of new states is, frankly, premature and displays an immaturity unbecoming of our representatives. Such proposals do nothing but cast a shadow over the stature of the House of Representatives and compromise its essential role in governance.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo staunchly reaffirms its position that any discourse regarding state creation must prioritise the Southern region of Nigeria, which has been historically underrepresented. The Northern region, currently endowed with nineteen states—a configuration established by past military regimes—benefits from an unfair numerical advantage that has led to systemic inequities.
“This disparity has long been employed as a strategic instrument of intimidation against the governance and development of the Southern populace.
“In this context, we urgently appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to summon the political will and moral strength necessary to correct this longstanding imbalance in state representation. The political and economic advantages enjoyed by the North, due mainly to its nineteen states, must be counterbalanced by the creation of two additional states in the South.
“Our immediate recommendation is that the first of these new states be established in the Southeast, which currently consists of just five states. The Southeast must achieve parity with other geopolitical zones, particularly the Northwest, which boasts seven states.”
