Instead of creating new states as being pondered in the National Assembly, it will be in the best interest of Nigeria to put in place workable federalism that will concentrate power in the federating units to drive the socio-economic development of the country through healthy competitions for growth in all the sectors that are today suffering one deficit or the other. If we must be sincere with ourselves, the solution to most, if not all, the challenges that Nigeria is facing today, including insecurity of life and property, food insecurity, unemployment, agitation for secession, inadequate infrastructure, mutual distrust, weak cohesion and waning sense of patriotism, lies in true federalism that will motivate the component units to make giant strides in their respective domains, partner with their counterparts to boost production of certain goods in areas of competitive advantage, and in the process transforming Nigeria for greatness.
Speculations are rife about the impending creation of new states by the National Assembly in the broad context of the ongoing process to review the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Ostensibly impelled by proposals from different parts of the country, the House of Representatives is currently mulling over the requests. Nigerians, through the lawmakers, must choose between real national development for the benefit of all and creation of states that will not be viable, but depend on allocation from the federation account only to be run as private companies of selfish politicians as has been seen clearly in the country today.
There are currently 36 states in the country, distributed unevenly among the six geo-political zones. The South-South, South-West, North-Central, and North-East have six states each; the North-West has seven states, while the South-East has five states. Currently, a bill for the creation of Orlu State, sponsored by Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere, a member representing Ideato North and South Federal Constituency of Imo State, and 15 others, is pending in the House of Representatives. There are also proposals for the creation of Oke-Ogun, Ijebu, and Ife-Ijesa states; Benue Ala state from the present Benue State; Lagoon State from the present Lagos State; and Amana State from the existing Adamawa and Benue states submitted to the Constitution Review Committee.
Suffice it to say that this is the first time a civilian government is considering state creation since 1963 when the Mid-Western region was created during the First Republic. Ever since, all the new states created in Nigeria were through military fiat. The first state creation in Nigeria occurred in 1967 under the military regime of Gen. Yakubu Gowon. He dissolved the four regions in the country and subsequently created 12 states on May 5, 1967. In 1976, Gen. Murtala Mohammed ousted Gowon through a military coup and, upon assuming power, created Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Imo, Niger, Ogun, and Ondo states, bringing the total number of states in Nigeria to 19 from the original 12 created by Gowon.
Upon coming to power in 1987 through a military coup, the regime of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida created two additional states, Akwa Ibom and Katsina. Subsequently, the same regime also created nine additional states—Abia, Enugu, Delta, Jigawa, Kebbi, Osun, Kogi, Taraba, and Yobe—in 1991. On October 1, 1996, Gen. Sani Abacha, who ousted the Ernest Shonekan-led Interim National Government (ING) from power, created additional states: Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Nasarawa, Gombe, and Ekiti, thus bringing the total number of states in Nigeria to 36, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The agitation for the creation of new states in Nigeria is primarily informed by various political, economic, and socio-cultural factors to give identity and a sense of belonging to the minorities and marginalised areas of the country, thus fostering a sense of nationalism as opposed to sectional interests. Some ethnic groups feel marginalised and believe that creating more states will ensure better representation, better redistribution of political power, and better distribution of the country’s wealth. The creation of more states could mean more localised governance, which might be more responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people in those regions. In all, today, Nigeria’s federal system is such that the centre has overwhelming control over the financial resources of the country. Besides, the centre is believed to be dominated by leaders from a particular section of the country who use the national resources for the greater benefit of their people while citizens from other sections feel unfairly treated in their fatherland.
The use of land mass and the number of local government areas in the allocation of national resources has, in no small manner, exacerbated the agitation for more states and local government areas, especially in southern Nigeria. Proponents of state creation argue that there is a palpable imbalance between the states in the South and the North. They claim that the former northern region has been unduly favoured in all state creation exercises. The former northern region has more states and local government areas than the former eastern and western regions combined.
To be continued tomorrow.
