Bill for New South East State… Good Move from Reps

By Chuka Nnabuife

WITHOUT doubt the bill for a new state in South East that is currently in line for a second reading in the House of Representatives at the National Assembly is good news.

First, let’s note that having the new state from South East’s bill pass through First Reading in Green Chambers is a good step in the right direction. Bold too.

It is worth noting that the quest for states and local government councils in Nigeria is mainly based on the fact that the resources, development, appointments and economic revenue of Nigeria are basically shared by ratio according to the number of states and local government areas (LGA).

Therefore, the fact that this state bid has come up is remarkable. It addresses a critical issue of concern to the South East geographical zone which has been kicking against its having five (5) states when the other five (5) zones have six, and in the case of North West, seven states respectively, since the Federal military government parted Nigeria into 36 states in the 1990s.

The last rally of all Nigerian nationalities and professional groups, the 2014 National Conference (dubbed the National Confab) resolved that South East should get two additional states to meet the number of other zones. But since then, all attempts to get the country to implement the 2014 resolution among others have hit the rock. This then marks a ‘move up’ on the matter.

Also worthy of recall here is that the early years of this millennium, first decade of the year 2000s there were campaigns and consultations for possible new states to be created from the South East. This proposed Orlu State was first conceived as ‘Urasi State,’ comprising parts of current Anambra and Imo states, then ‘Njaba State’ still taking parts of the two existing states, then a combination of the two with Orlu in Imo state and parts of Abia State. Which is the one now in the proposed bill.

At the same period, there were proposals for other states from other parts of South East. Some even comprised parts of other states in zones that are not South East. Among them were the proposed ‘Adada State’ which included largely the Nsukka area of current Enugu State as well as parts of Benue and Kogi states. There was a proposal for ‘Equity State’ which took parts of all the existing five South East states (Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi). Across the River Niger, in Delta State which is not in South East geographical zone, the Igbo-speaking region that is related to the entirely Igbo South East saw an opportunities in the quest for an additional south eastern to move for their own ‘Anioma State’.

Promoters of these new states backed them up with cogent reasons. Arguing cultural homogeneity and cohesion of the peoples in the new aggregations; economic viability of the lands and the entire geography as well as availability of a lot of incentives for vast social, political and economic development of the new areas which a new state would require. Some even advanced the need to save some people of the new states from persistent marginalisation and claimed that they would get renewed sense of belonging as they would be ‘carried along’.

Baring some flaws in the still unclear criteria for aggregating the advocated 28 local councils the go along with the bill the emergence of the proposed Orlu State discourse in the National Assembly is largely, good tiding because, if it succeeds, it will address a core issue at the heart of Nigeria. The fact that a large part of the proposed new state in the Oguta, Ihiala, Ozubulu, Njaba areas are oil and gas harbouring hubs raises hope of economic solvency.

But should Orlu State sail through, how will it thrive amid the unknown gunmen and the already zany general insecurity situation that have currently reduced the areas that make the proposed state to endangered zone?

An Orlu State would need very astute government and administrators. That would be serious food for thought for those who know the almost government-starved, if indifferent area.