The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has stated that the law-making chamber is not taking a side on the proposal received by the Committee on Constitution Review to create additional 30 states.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, Kalu stated that the 30 proposals for new states do not meet the constitutional requirements outlined in Section 8(1-3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). He urged the applicants to comply with the constitutional procedures, providing them with one month, until March 5, to rectify the gaps in their applications.
Kalu noted that the Constitution requires a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate, the House of Representatives, State Houses of Assembly, and Local Government Areas to create a new state.
Kalu stated that the deluge of requests for State creation may have emanated from the people’s desire to enjoy more dividends of democracy, and that some Nigerians believe that creating more states will allow them to access the dividends of democracy more easily.
Regarding the position of Afenifere, a Yoruba socio-political organization, which favours States controlling the resources in their domains while making returns to the Federal Government instead of creating more States, Kalu stated that the parliament will be guided by what is good for Nigerians.
Kalu emphasized that the parliament’s position is to be the unbiased umpire, listening to the desires of all Nigerians, analyzing, and then taking a position based on what the people want.
The Deputy Speaker also clarified that the proposal for state creation read during Thursday’s plenary session of the House was to inform Nigerians about the number of applications so far received, which are 30, not 31 as previously reported.
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