Uzodimma Calls For More South East States, Rotational Presidency

The Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma has called for the creation of additional States in the South East as well as the making of rotational presidency in Nigeria a constitutional matter.

Uzodimma who also doubles as the Chairman of Progressives Governors Forum made this call during the 1999 constitutional review in Owerri, the Imo State Capital on Saturday.

The governor also said that the issues of indigeneship and State Police in Nigeria should be taken more seriously, and that the lawmakers working on the Constitution review should strive to fashion that truly reflects the thinking of the people.

Uzodimma while calling for urgent constitutional reforms to address the grievances of the Igbo people to guarantee inclusivity, justice, and equity in the Constitution, said he does not belong to the group seeking for outright scrapping of Nigeria’s existing statute book as no Constitution, all over the world, is perfect.

The governor further advocated for the creation of at least two additional States in the South East zone to address underrepresentation in national institutions.

He said: “Our people in Imo and Abia States, and indeed the South East, have clear expectations. I believe the time has come to address them with urgency, sincerity, and justice.

“First, the issue of state creation. It bears repeating that the southeast remains the only geopolitical zone with five states. Every other zone has six or more. This imbalance has led to underrepresentation in critical national institutions, from the National Assembly to the Federal Executive Council.

“It has shrunk our voice and abridged our inclusivity. Therefore, it’s only fair and just that we ask for the creation of at least two additional states in the South East. 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 sufficient revenue base to self-sustain. This should naturally go hand in hand with the creation of new local government areas for the zone.”

He further proposed a legal definition of indigeneship based on birth or long-term residence (10 years) to promote inclusivity; while also calling for the constitutional entrenchment of rotational presidency among the six geopolitical zones to promote national stability.

“The second issue is the matter of indigeneship. Our subsisting constitution guarantees every citizen the right to live and work in any part of the country. But in practice, those born and raised in a place where their grandparents may not have originated from are still regarded and treated as non-indigenes.

“That cannot be in tandem with the spirit of brotherhood we boldly recite in our national anthem. We should not be seen to be speaking from two sides of our mouth.

“We need to legally define indigeneship by birth or long-term residence – say, ten years. Anyone born in a state or has lived in a state for upwards of ten years should be a legitimate indigene of that state. This is common practice in advanced democracies, ” Uzodimma stated.

On the issue of State policing, Uzodimma supported the decentralisation of police powers for greater responsiveness and effectiveness and urged the National Assembly to consider these proposals as part of the constitutional review process, emphasising that a constitution that reflects the values and aspirations of all Nigerians is essential for national stability and progress.

He said: “Our diversity is our strength, not our weakness. But that strength must be harnessed through law and equity. Therefore, our Constitution must reflect our shared values, not just our shared borders.”

He further called on Ndigbo to take advantage of the ongoing constitutional review to seek redress for their long-standing grievance and shun threats of secession and violence, insisting on using the constitutional review process to articulate their demands peacefully.

Uzodimma Calls For More South East States, Rotational Presidency is first published on The Whistler Newspaper