Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo state has called for the creation of new states in the south-east to address the “under-representation” of the zone in the national institutions.
Uzodinma spoke on Saturday during the south-east zonal public hearing on the constitution review for Imo and Abia states.
The public hearing, which took place in Owerri, the Imo state capital, was attended by government officials, politicians, religious leaders, traditional rulers, women’s groups, and other stakeholders.
Ikechukwu Emetu, deputy governor of Abia, represented Alex Otti, governor of the state, at the public hearing.
Recently, the national assembly started zonal public hearings across the six geopolitical zones to gather proposals and views on amendments to the 1999 Constitution.
The proposals for the amendment include the creation of state police, electoral reforms, and devolution of powers.
Uzodimma said every geopolitical zone in the country has at least six states, except the south-east with five.
He added that the south-east must be considered in the proposal for creation of new states to address the perceived marginalisation of the people of the area.
“Every other zone has six or more. This imbalance has led to under-representation in critical national institutions, from the national assembly to the federal executive council. It has shrunk our voice and abridged our inclusivity,” the Imo governor said.
“It is my well-considered submission that Anim state should be one of the new states to be created.
“This is one state that will have an oil-producing status upon creation. This makes it commercially viable, with a sufficient revenue base to self-sustain.
“This should naturally go hand in hand with the creation of new local government areas for the zone.”
Uzodimma also proposed rotational presidency for the six geographical zones and not the north and south divide.
He backed the proposal for the creation of state police, noting that the current policing structure is “often disconnected from local realities”.
However, the deputy governor of Abia noted that the proposal for the creation of an additional 31 states will increase the burden on the country’s lean resources if approved.
He called for inclusive governance by the current states instead of creating new ones.
“I am more concerned about the additional burden these proposals, if adopted, would add to the lean resources of the nation through the multiplication of administrative costs and further bloating of an oversized bureaucracy,” Emetu said.
“Except we can magically find independent sources of financing for the new states outside what currently exists, I do not share the optimism of those promoting the idea of adding new states to the current 36-state structure.
“My recommendation would be the development of an inclusive governance model in the states, one that gives every major clan a say in the allocation of resources, a seat at the decision-making table, and the structural leverage to advance their political and economic interests.”
The deputy governor supported the proposal for the creation of state police, adding that the current policing system has exposed Nigerians to a “litany of vulnerabilities”.
