The House of Representatives, through its Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, has received requests for the creation of 31 more states across the six geopolitical zones.
A letter from the committee, read on the floor of the House on Thursday by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, indicated that the South West zone topped the request chart with demand for seven additional states.
It’s the North Central, North West and the South East with five requests each, while the North East and the South South requested for four each.
The new states being requested for include Okun, Okura, and Confluence (Kogi); Benue Ala and Apa (Benue); FCT State; Amana (Adamawa); Katagum (Bauchi); Savannah (Borno); Muri (Taraba); New Kaduna state and Gujarat state, Kaduna state;
Others are Tiga and Ari from Kano; Kainji from Kebbi state. Etiti, Orashi, Adada, Orlu and Aba from the South East.
There are also request for 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, Oke Ogun/Ijesha from Oyo/Ogun/Osun states.
The letter, read by Kalu read in part, “A request to the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new state shall only be passed if a request supported by at least a third majority of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives 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.
“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 fulfillment of state demands.
“Proposals shall be resubmitted in strict adherence to the stipulations. Submit three hard copies of the full proposal of the memoranda to the Secretariat of the Committee at Room H331, House of Representatives, White House, National Assembly Complex, and Abuja.
“Sub-copies must also be sent electronically to the Committee’s email address at info.hccr.gov.nj.
“The Committee remains committed to supporting the implementing efforts that align with the Constitutional provisions and would only consider proposals that comply with the stipulated guidelines.”
