Prominent Nigerians and organisations during the week reacted to reports suggesting that the Joint Committee on Amendment of the 1999 Constitution has resolved to create additional states to the existing 36 across the country.

The news came just as the committee co-chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jubrin Barau, and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, is said to have received 55 requests for more states.

However, reports have it that in the end, only six seem to have got the nod of the committee, prompting debate with regard to desirability or otherwise of the plan as well as its implications for socio-political order in the country.

Those who offered comments on the move also spoke on the impacts it would have on the economy of the country, should it scale through legislative approval.

Those who spoke on the issue include constitutional lawyer, Professor Itsay Sagay, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, Arusa 1, the Olota of Ota, Oba Abdulkabir Adeyemi Obalanlege, National Leader of pan-Nigerian organisation, Afenifere, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, as well as a former President of Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Aka Ikenga, Chief Goddy Uwazurike.

Also, some opposition parties, such as the African Democratic Party (ADC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), gave their views.

Sagay

In a chat with one of our correspondents, Sagay flayed those advocating for additional states in the country as selfish and not sincere, maintaining that the creation of additional states would further drain the lean purse of the country.

He added that the country has more than enough states considering its size, saying, “ I have always maintained that we don’t need more states in the country.

For what? My reading of these incessant calls is that some people are doing so because they want to control their areas and get more access to the treasury.

“For me, these calls are not for the benefit of the people but for a few people who would now become the local leaders controlling the resources and levers of state for their benefit.

I don’t think this is what we should be considering now in view of the state of the economy.” He further added that the scenario that would come out of the action would not be different from what presently obtains in the country now, saying, “What will eventually happen is that the new states, which will be mostly unviable, will eventually constitute a drain on the resources of the viable ones.”

Oba Ladoja

On his part, Oba Ladoja expressed delight over the process towards the creation of Ibadan State by the National Assembly, maintaining that it is long overdue.

Speaking through his media aide, Mr. Adesola Oloko, Oba Ladoja, who maintained that the new state would be viable, stated that all the necessary infrastructure for its take-off is already in place.

“As far as we, the people of Ibadanland, are concerned, the move to carve out a new state from the present Oyo State is a welcome development. Also is the issue of second reading in the National Assembly is very gratifying.

“Of the old regional capitals, Kaduna and Enugu have states of their own. Ibadan, the South West political headquarters, remains the only former regional capital without a state named after it.

Yet we need Ibadan State, having satisfied the criteria for state creation. The proposed Ibadan State, if carved out of the present Oyo State, is well over half of the population.

“Ibadan and Ibarapa, put together, have 14 local governments. Over 50 per cent of Oyo State’s Internally Generated Revenue comes from Ibadan alone.

The infrastructural development necessary for the take-off of Ibadan state is intact. As we are clamouring for Ibadan State, the agitation for a new Oyo State is equally high.

“As for people agitating for state creation, they have the right to do so. But satisfying the criteria for state creation is a different thing entirely. The most import- ant criterion, I think, is economic viability and whether it goes down well with other constituent units in the state to be split.

“Let us be frank and sincere; we can’t deny citizens the right to agitate for more states. After all might have been said and done, we should be very objective to pick and choose which ones deserve to be created now, and I believe the creation of Ibadan state is long overdue.”

Oba Obalanlege

Oba Obalenlege also welcomed the move, maintaining that if carried out, it would ensure accelerated development of the grassroots. “I see it as a good development, especially in accelerating the development of the state.

You find out that the reason why states are being created is to ensure the development of hidden communities and the entire country. “With reference to my own state, Ogun State, Ijebu State is a reality.

We have the Awori traditional council, and it will accelerate the development of the Awori land. “To me, it’s a welcome development because even when you look at the local government, whenever there is an election in Ogun West area, which is a senatorial district, we have four in Yewa, after voting, they go to one local government for their votes to come in.

“Our votes are more than all four local governments, and sometimes our votes will double. It’s like we are being marginalised. I think they have to create more local governments within the Awori nation, at least we expect four or five local governments. This will accelerate development in the area. I see new state creation as a welcome development overall. “ “On Ibadan State, it is obviously long overdue. Ibadan is quite big, and there is no reason why it shouldn’t become a state.

I think it’s worth it and on merit, Ibadan State should come on board to further boost development in the South West.”

ADC

Viability, not political consideration, should form the basis for new states ADC National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, when contacted, cautioned that the decision to create states must be guided by the issue of viability rather than political considerations alone.

“As recent reports have shown, most of the existing states can barely survive without federal allocation. One can make the equity argument in support of an additional state for the Southeast, but for the others, it is difficult to justify.”

Afenifere

Afenifere, through its National Publicity Secretary, Prince Justice Faloye, objected to the plan, saying what the country needs for it to progress is devolution of powers to further strengthen the existing states rather than creating new ones.

“Though Afenifere respects the right to agitate for more states, the real issue being avoided by the National Assembly and the political leadership is the devolution of powers to the states, to make the states more productive and efficient towards fiscal federalism.

“Creating more feeding bottle states that have to solely depend on federal allocations is a political solution without economic empowerment, mere political gerrymandering.

The constitution has to be restructured to devolve power to the federating units as required in true federalism, or the states will be mere administrative units like local governments.

Move ludicrous, ill-timed, says NNPP

National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, Mr. Ladipo Johnson, described the action as ill-timed and ludicrous, adding that the move is basically aimed at serving some political interest and not for the interest of the country. “We feel that it is absolutely ludicrous at this point for us to be thinking about creating more states.

How many of the existing ones are truly viable? We should be working towards making the states viable, efficient, and weaned as much as possible from the umbilical cord of the Federal Government!

”We urge the members of the National Assembly to think about the well-being of our federation, and jettison the idea of creating states, at this point,” the party said.

Uwazurike

Uwazurike who welcomed the development added that it (the planned creation of states) is in line with the resolution of the National Conference of 2014, which he participated in as a member, adding that he moved the motion for the creation of additional states in all the six zones of the country but that the South East zone must be at par with others in terms of the number of states.

According to him, he moved the motion for “One state for the South East Zone to bring the number of states in the zone to 6, this is so that the zone will be at par with 4 states.

The 4 zones are South West, South South, North East and North Central. The only other zone with 7 states is the North West. “Thereafter, three more states will be created for SS, SE, SW, NE, and NC. The NW will get 2 more states. The aim was to have 9 states per zone.

We also resolved that any state that considers itself unviable was free to collapse into a neighbouring state.” He commended the National Assembly for towing the same line of an equal number of states by first raising the SE zone to six states.

On the benefits of creating new states, he added that it would bring development to rural areas, just as it would also create employment and raise the human development index to a higher level. “Creation of states also increases small-scale business opportunities. It should not be forgotten that 32 of the state capitals today were rustic and rural before May 27, 1967.”