Kogi East resubmits Okura State creation request to Reps committee

The people of Kogi East Senatorial District, comprising the Igala and Bassa ethnic nationalities, have resubmitted their request for the creation of Okura State.

The proposed state is expected to be carved out of the present Kogi State, and the memo was addressed to Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, Deputy Speaker/Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Review, National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

The memo, dated 26th March 2025, is titled: “Resubmission of Request Memorandum for the Creation of Okura State from Present Kogi State and Consequential Amendment for the Creation of Additional Local Governments in the Proposed Okura State.”

Addressing newsmen after the submission, Chief Robert Audu, who signed the document on behalf of the Ata Igala Palace, Idah, said, “This move is a significant step towards realizing the long-standing demand of the people for a separate state.”

Audu, a former Minister of the Federal Republic, added, “The request for the creation of Okura State predates the creation of Kogi State. The agitation and movement to actualize this dream started about 50 years ago.

“The creation of the present Kogi State was done at the expense of Okura State, which is why our agitation should be given top priority by the National Assembly, especially the State Creation Committee.”

The Guardian reports that the proposed Okura State will comprise nine local government areas, including Ankpa, Bassa, Dekina, Ibaji, Idah, Igalamela/Odolu, Ofu, Olamaboro, and Omala.

In his remarks, Abdullahi Ibrahim Ali Halims, a member representing Ankpa, Omala, and Olamaboro Federal Constituency, described the resubmission of the bill for the creation of Okura State as a significant milestone in the quest for statehood.

Hon. Halims urged the people to cooperate and work together to ensure the realization of Okura State, saying, “Irrespective of what transpired in previous attempts, this time around, we are more united and formidable than ever.”