In a communique issued in Abuja by the chairman and secretary of the forum, Dr. Sunday Ameh SAN and Dr. Yakubu Ugwolawo, it described the non-inclusion for the creation of Okura State by the National Conference as unacceptable.
The forum noted that the Igala/Bassa nationalities were not included among the fifteen delegates from North Central zone to the National Conference. It said efforts by the Forum to correct the anomaly before the take-off of the National Conference met a brick wall at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
It also said the Igala/Bassa nationality were sidelined when the committee of the National Conference on political re-structuring and forms of government recommended only Edu and Apa States leaving out Okura State from North Central zone. It added that even when the conference recommended that each zone should have nine states, the conference allotted eight states to North Central and ten states to North West zone.
The Forum said instead of recommending Okura State to make up nine states in the North Central, the conference rather recommended the creation of Kainji State from North West thereby allotting ten states to North West geopolitical zone.
The Forum frowned at the deliberate marginalization of Igala/Bassa nationalities in the affairs of the country saying the President Goodluck Jonathan led-administration should take steps to correct the injustice.
It maintained that the agitation for the creation of Okura State dates back to 1980. It added that the National Assembly had in 1982 approved the request for the creation of Okura State to be slated with others for a referendum in 1983.
The Forum urged President Jonathan to consider the request for the creation of Okura State, noting that the Igala/Bassa nation has continued to contribute to the growth of the nation.
