Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, a legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has criticized the agitation for creating additional states in the South-East region of Nigeria, arguing that it would not solve the region’s problems.
Agbakoba was a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association. He believed the agitation should instead be for the National Assembly to amend the constitution or create a new one based on regional governments.
The human rights activist said the country made significant success under the 1954-1966 regional governments, which were led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo in charge of the South West, Chief Michael Okpara in charge of the South East, and Ahmadu Bello in the North.
“This agitation will arise because it is on the basis of the number of states that federal allocation flows.
“So the fact that the South-East has five states means they are losing revenue, and that is one point of view and an emotional point of their agitation.
“However, a pragmatic developmental point of view, which I go for, is that even if you create a sixth state in the South-East to give them a sense of belonging, will this new state, in addition to the 36 states, take us towards the path of development?
“Will it reverse the land’s hunger, insecurity, poverty, and unemployment? Absolutely not.
“We need to do away from state creation to regional system of government.
“This is because making a new constitution for Nigeria has become an overriding imperative because new political realities and conundrums have cropped up in the country,” Agbakoba argued.
The House of Representatives recently passed a bill seeking the creation of Etiti State from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states from the South-East geopolitical zone. Godwin Ogah, Miriam Onuoha, Kama Nkemkama, Princess Nnabuife, and Anayo Onwuegbu jointly sponsored the bill.
Some lawmakers and stakeholders have also called for creating Anioma State from states in the South-South and South-East regions. Senator Ned Nwoko, a PDP-Delta North member, believes that creating an additional state would correct the marginalization of the South-East geo-political zone.
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