Nigerian lawyer, Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has declared that the creation of new states in the southeast won’t solve the existing problems in the region.
He submitted that those agitating for the creation of additional states are doing so on the basis that the region has fewer states compared to other regions in the country, and the allocation of federal resources is done based on the number of states.
He, however, argued that anyone who could see the big picture could tell that the creation of additional states would not guarantee development.
Speaking to newsmen in Lagos on Sunday, Agbakoba, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), said instead of creating new states, the National Assembly should amend the constitution or put together a completely new one that would return Nigeria to regional governments.
He said, “This agitation will arise because it is on the basis of the number of states that federal allocation flows.
“So the fact that the South-East has five states means to them that they are losing revenue and that is a one point of view and also an emotional point of their agitation.
“However, a pragmatic developmental point of view, which I go for, is that even if you create a sixth state in the South-East to give them a sense of belonging, will this new state in addition to the 36 states take us towards the path of development?
“Will it reverse the hunger, insecurity, poverty and unemployment in the land? Absolutely not.
“We need to do away from state creation to regional system of government.”
The lawyer argued that many of the current states are not economically viable, and creating additional states would only bring about more problems.
“State creation at this present harsh economic will, no doubt, lead to an increase in the number of National Assembly members, ministers, local governments, and others, which would further increase the cost of governance in the country.
“This is coming at a time when most Nigerians are starving due to rise in the food prices. Insurgents, bandits and terrorists are abducting people for ransom in other states of the country.
“Therefore, the National Assembly should, instead return the country to the regionalism by collapsing the 36 states into six to eight regions or geopolitical zones, each of which will have a leader.
“This means that the present Nigeria 1999 Constitution would be amended or a new one written to accommodate this proposal.
“This is because making a new constitution for Nigeria has become an overriding imperative based on the fact that new political realities and conundrums have cropped up in the country,” Agbakoba said.
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