Bill to create Orlu State in Southeast Nigeria passes first reading at House of Reps

The House of Representatives at the plenary on May 22nd introduced and passed through first reading a Bill which seeks to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) to create a new state in the Southeastern region of Nigeria known as Orlu State.

The proposed legislation which is set for second reading was sponsored by the lawmaker representing Ideato North South Federal Constituency of Imo State, Hon. Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere and other lawmakers.

A draft of the bill made available to journalists, stated that, “the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as Amended) (herein referred to as the “Principal Act”) is altered as set out in this Bill; Section 3 of the Principal Act is amended as follows: There shall be thirty-seven states in Nigeria that is to say, Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos,Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Orlu, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara”.

Also the bill seeks an amendment by inserting a new paragraph immediately after the Ondo State and before the Osun State paragraph, to read as follows:

State – Orlu ,Capital City- Orlu.

Local Government Areas as to be amended will now include, “Orlu, Orsu, Oru West, Oru East, Ideato North, Ideato South, Njaba, Nkwerre, Nwangele, Isu, Oguta, Ohaji Egbema, Onuimo, Ihiala, Uga, Ihiala, Uli, Ozubulu, Akokwa, Arondizuogu, Umuchu, Umunze, Umuaku, New Ideato North, Nwabosi West, Nwabosi East, Owerre Nkworji, Alaoma, Amaifeke, Owerrebiri Umuowa.”

The lead sponsor, Ugochinyere told journalists that the proposed state will be carved out from Imo, Abia and Anambra.

He also told journalists that when the State is created, Ideato will emerge as a senatorial district.

He appealed to his colleagues at the National Assembly for support to ensure that the bill scales through second reading.