Ohanaeze Calls for Creation of Two Additional States in Southeast
Onyekachi Nnabu
The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has called for the creation of additional two states in the Southeast zone.
In a statement issued by the Deputy President General Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the apex body said that the current imbalance evinced by the northern region, which possesses 19 states exemplified an unjust numerical disadvantage to the South, which is limited to a mere 17 states.
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Ohanaeze added that this inequitable distribution has engendered a political structure that disproportionately empowers the North, thus serving as a tool of intimidation against the aspirations of the Southern populace.
According to him: “in light of these historical injustices, we passionately implore President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to exhibit the political will and moral courage required to rectify this imbalance”.
“The time has come to create two additional states in the South, with an immediate priority accorded to establishing a sixth state in the Southeast”.
“This urgent measure is not merely a suggestion but a requisite action to ensure that the Southeast, currently comprising only five states, achieves parity with other geopolitical zones, particularly the Northwest which boasts seven states”.
“The Ohanaeze Ndigbo, as the quintessential voice of the Igbo people, hereby expresses its vehement opposition to the House of Representatives’ recent proposal concerning the creation of thirty-one new states”.
“This initiative is not only a farce but also an exercise in futility, lacking the credibility and thoughtful consideration that befits such a significant constitutional matter”.
“The bold assertion made by the leadership of the House, particularly through the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who has succinctly dispelled the notion that the proposed states meet requisite constitutional criteria, is commendable and necessary”.
“We acknowledge his clarification as an essential step in restoring the dignity of our revered legislative body. It is both premature and juvenile for the House of Representatives to entertain such an ill-considered proposal, one that reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of what constitutes a viable state within our great nation”.
“In explicit and direct terms, Ohanaeze Ndigbo reaffirms its support for the creation of additional states exclusively within the Southern region of Nigeria. The current imbalance evinced by the northern region, which possesses nineteen states—a remnant of erstwhile military regimes—exemplifies an unjust numerical disadvantage to the South, which is limited to a mere seventeen states”.
“This inequitable distribution has engendered a political structure that disproportionately empowers the North, thus serving as a tool of intimidation against the aspirations of the Southern populace”.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo stressed that it was imperative the historical political and economic dominance that the Northern region has exercised over the South should be dismantled as a broader commitment to justice, fairness, and inclusivity within our federal structure.
