The House of Representatives has made significant progress towards the creation of an additional state in the South East, which would be called ‘Etiti State.’
A bill aimed at achieving the objective jointly sponsored by Amobi Godwin Ogah and five other lawmakers was called for second reading, yesterday, on the floor of the House presided over by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abass.
The proposed Etiti State is billed to be created out of the existing states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo in the South East geo-political zone.
This bill proposes specific alterations to the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, as follows: “The amendment of Section 3(1) to increase the number of states from 36 to 37 by inserting “Etiti” immediately after Enugu.”
Ogah, representing Isiuakwato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State, while speaking on the general principle of the bill, argued that the creation of the new state is not just a matter of administrative convenience but a step towards ensuring balanced regional development and effective governance.
He contended that the state is in response to the aspirations of the people of the South East and aligns with the principles of equity and inclusivity enshrined in democratic ideals.
Ogah further stated that the creation of Etiti State will facilitate more targeted development initiatives, better resource allocation and improved service delivery to the people.
While canvassing for the support of the House, Ogah said: “Let us remain guided by the imperative of fairness, efficiency and progress.
“The creation of Etiti State represents a unique opportunity to strengthen our federal structure, empower our communities and foster national unity.”
SIMILARLY, Igbo women under the auspices of Igbo Women Assembly (IWA) have thrown their support behind the proposed creation of ‘Anioma’ state from the current Delta State as the sixth state in the South East region.
They stated that Anioma State would correct the inequity in the geopolitical distribution of states, as well as restore the area that was originally part of the old eastern region into the present South East geopolitical zone.
The President of IWA, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, who spoke to reporters in Enugu, yesterday, said that rather than creating a new state from the current South East region, the creation of ‘Anioma’ State would increase the size and population of the region.
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