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By Princewill Sede
At a point the nation is struggling with the autonomy granted to Local Government Councils and some state governors kicking against the full implementation of the financial freedom of the third tier of government the House of Representatives is proposing the creation of additional 31 States.
If the proposal falls through Nigeria will have a massive 67 States which will be a record in the world. No country in the world has up to 67 States. The closest however is the United States of America with 52 States.
Economic experts from statistics available say, funding the existing 36 States has been a major challenge given the slow infrastructural development across the country. Some states are still grappling with the problem of funding of major projects insisting that they’re cash strapped.
Paying the minimum wage of seventy thousand naira (N70,000) has been a Herculean task for most state governments. This informs why most governors frown at the autonomy granted the Local Government Councils. From the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) which distributes federal revenues to the state and Local Government Councils, it is believed that state governors still feel the direct funds allocated to the Local Government Councils is an aberration.
There is also the challenge of constituency projects handed to federal lawmakers. Major political voices in many states argue that these funds for constituency projects end up in the pockets of the Senators and Representatives. The people (constituents) are at their mercy as these projects are either poorly funded or do not exist at all.
The National Population Commission (NPC) whose statistics supports states creation as revealed by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review however disclosed that most states are glorified Local Government Councils talking strictly about their infrastructural development.
In all these, the House of Representatives Committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution is proposing the creation of 31 additional states.
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu who presided over the plenary when the matter was brought to the floor on Thursday February 4th, 2025 read a letter from the committee containing the proposed states.
The letter stated this as read by Rt. Hon. Kalu : “This is to inform members that the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered), has received legislative proposals for the creation of states and local governments in the following order
The letter further reads, “As amended, this section outlines specific requirements that must be fulfilled to initiate the process of state creation, which include the following:. New state and boundaries. 1. An act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new state shall only be passed if it requires support by at least the third majority of members.
“The House of Representatives, the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and the Local Government Council in respect of the area is received by the National Assembly. Local government advocates for the creation of additional local government areas are only reminded that Section 8 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, applies to this process.
“Specifically, in accordance with Section 8.3 of the Constitution, the outcome of the votes of the State Houses of Assembly in the referendum must be forwarded to the National Assembly for fulfilment of state demands.
According to the committee, it is proposing an additional six new states in the North Central, four in the North East, five in the North West, five in the South-South, and seven in the South West.
The states being considered include Okun State, Okura State, and Confluence State from Kogi; Benue Ala and Apa States from Benue; FCT State; Amana State from Adamawa; Katagum from Bauchi State; Savannah State from Borno; and Muri State from Taraba.
The states also include New Kaduna State and Gujarat State from Kaduna State; Tiga and Ari from Kano; Kainji from Kebbi State; Etiti and Orashi as the 6th state in the Southeast; Adada from Enugu; and Orlu and Aba also in the Southeast.
Others are Ogoja from Cross River, Warri from Delta, Ori and Obolo from Rivers, Torumbe from Ondo, Ibadan from Oyo, Lagoon from Lagos, and Ogun, Ijebu from Ogun, and Oke Ogun/Ijesha from Oyo/Ogun/Osun states.
The request for states’ creation can only materialise if at least “the two-third majority of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives (National Assembly) and the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and the Local Government Council in respect of the area is received by the National Assembly”.
Political experts believe that should the proposal go through, the 31 new states will spark off fresh crisis and agitation of more states.
Prof. Adeniyi Akosile says, “We should be ready to contend with the increased cries of marginalization among ethnic groups who fall into New States where they are minorities. We may be biting more than we could chew with this bloated 31 New States proposal.
Meanwhile, the youth wing of apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has rejected the proposed additional five states for the South-East.
Ohanaeze youths kicked against the proposal insisting it would further increase the marginalization of the South-East geopolitical zone.
It issued a statement on Friday February 6. The National President of Ohanaeze Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike said over the years Ndigbo had been complaining of marginalization, following the five states they have as against six and seven by other regions in the country.
He called on the National Assembly to jettison the idea in order to avoid rubbing in the already dissatisfied position of the people of the South-East.
“When he read the news about the Reps’ proposal for state creation we were delighted. However, on clear scrutiny of the proposed states, we identified a clear further marginalization of the South-East.
“Our zone has been crying for an additional state since the return to democracy in 1999. But it has always been scuttled by those who are happy with having Ndigbo subjugated in this country.
“We find this current constitution amendment process as an ample opportunity to right that wrong, but we are seeing the contrary,” Okwu argued.
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