The agitation for the creation of more states in the country is about to enter a new phase following the recommendation by the Senate Committee on Constitution Review that referendum be conducted for the proposed 20 new states by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Senate Committee, while acknowledging receipts of several Bills proposing creation of Okun, Okura and other new states, decided that it is not in a position to recommend or proposed the creation of any state unless there is compliance with the provisions of section 8 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic as amended.
Some of the requests are Okun State from Kogi West; Okura State from Kogi East; Itai State from Akwa Ibom State; State status for the FCT; Katagum State from Bauchi State; Adada State from Enugu State; Gurara State from Kaduna South; and Ijebu State from Ogun State.
Others are Ibadan State from Oyo State; Tiga State from Kano State; Ghari State from Kano State; Amana State from Adamawa; Gongola State from Adamawa; Mambilla State from Taraba State; and Savannah State from Borno State.
Those on the list include Etiti State from the South East Zone; Orashi State from Imo and Anambra states; Njaba from the present Imo State or the excision of Aba State from Abia State; Anioma State from Delta State; Torogbene and Oil River States, from Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states; and Bayajida State from parts of Katsina, Jigawa and Zamfara states.
A statement issued on Sunday by the Chairman, Senate Committee of Media and Public Affairs, Dr Ajibola Basiru, said media reports that the Senate Committee of Review of 1999 Constitution has proposed the creation of additional 20 States is a gross misrepresentation of the decision of the committee on the request for creation of more states.
The senate spokesman explained that the senate decided to refer the requests received to Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure compliance with section 8 of the Constitution by conducting referendum in the areas if the requests supported by at least two-thirds majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new State) in the Senate, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly in the area.
For ease of reference, Section 8 of the Constitution provides:
An Act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new State shall only be passed if-
(a) a request, supported by at least two-thirds majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new State) in each of the following, namely –
(i) the Senate and the House of Representatives,
(ii) the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and
(iii) the local government councils in respect of the area,
is received by the National Assembly;
(b) a proposal for the creation of the State is thereafter approved in a referendum by at least two-thirds majority of the people of the area where the demand for creation of the State originated;
(c) the result of the referendum is then approved by a simple majority of all the States of the Federation supported by a simple majority of members of the Houses of Assembly; and
(d) the proposal is approved by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of members of each House of the National Assembly.
In view of the above, the Senate Committee is not in a position to propose creation of any state as reported. Rather the committee decided to refer the requests received to Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure compliance with section 8 of the Constitution by conducting referendum in the areas if the requests supported by at least two-thirds majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new State) in the Senate, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly in the area.
The last state creation in Nigeria took place on October 1,1996 when the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, announced the emergence of Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Gombe, Nasarawa and Zamfara states.
