Senator representing Enugu North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Okey Ezea, and former President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, have renewed calls for the creation of Adada State, to be carved out of the present Enugu State.
The duo made their case recently in Enugu during the Senate’s South East Zonal Public Hearing on the review of the 1999 Constitution.
According to a statement issued by the Director of Media of the Adada State Movement, Mr. Ike Abonyi, Senator Ezea urged the National Assembly to approve the creation of the proposed state, asserting that it has fulfilled the necessary constitutional requirements, particularly those outlined in Section 8(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution.
The senator emphasized that Adada remains the only province in Nigeria that has not been elevated to state status.
Chief Nwodo, in his remarks, traced the agitation for Adada State back to the early 1970s, during the administration of General Yakubu Gowon.
“There are several reasons why Adada State should be created,” Nwodo said. “In the South East, during the last state creation exercise, the northern part of Igboland—comprising present-day Enugu and Ebonyi states—ended up with just one state, while the southern part received three. When you share things unequally among your children, it breeds anger and desperation.”
He continued, “Igbos are an integral part of this country. Our population is grossly underestimated because more than 50 per cent of Igbos live outside Igboland. There’s hardly any part of Nigeria where Igbos are not the majority of the non-indigenous population. This is due to our enterprising spirit and drive to break new ground. But most of these people register their identities with their states of residence.”
Nwodo noted that the proposed Adada State consists of seven out of the 17 local government areas in Enugu State and accounts for 54 per cent of the state’s population.
He also recalled that the 2014 National Conference, chaired by Justice Idris Kutigi, recommended Adada as one of the new states to be created, describing it as highly viable with abundant human and natural resources.
Chairman of the Adada State Movement, Chief James Ugwu, added that the demand for the state’s creation began shortly after the Nigerian Civil War.
