Since he assumed office as President of the Senate in 2007, Senator David Mark has not left anyone in doubt about his desire to increase the number of states in the country through the creation of new states. A feat no civilian administration has ever achieved in the history of the country.
It would be recalled that Mark at a public function held recently said thus “I am committed to it and I believe that creation of additional states will be in the interest of our people because development will be nearer to them”
That assertion has no doubt rekindled the hope of agitators of states creation scattered across the six geo-political zones in the country,who believed that their desire for new states would soon be a reality.
But the hope seems to have been dashed into the stream as chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji Aliko Mohammed yesterday affirmed that the final decision to create more states in the country lies in the hands of the northerners.
Mohammed made this known on Tuesday in Kaduna at the headquarters of the ACF during a courtesy call of a delegation from the South-South, led by Chief Isaac Jemide, urging for a state not to be created out of Delta State region.
His words: “I will like to say first and foremost that if North does not agree with any state of the federation, the issue of state creation will not happen because we represent 19 of the 36 States, and if this side of the country does not accept state creation, it will not happen. I will also like to say that ACF has already published its position about state creation. We do not believe that at this stage in Nigeria, we need any more states.
“The 36 states are already enough, and so if you increase it more than this, like they are saying up to 50 states, it means there won’t be a place to even sit down and talk. So we have our position clear that for now Nigeria does not need more states. We are going to convince our governors and legislators not to accept creation of more states. Let’s maintain the ones that we have for now, and later we may consider more.”
Meanwhile, the Itsekiri tribe of Delta State under the aegis of Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, said they would oppose the creation of new states in the country, particularly out of Delta State.
The group also kicked against the inclusion of tenure elongation in the amended constitution for the offices of the president and the governors.
According to Chief Jemide, the Ijaw people of Bayelsa State had dominated the Itsekiri people to the extent that other Nigerians saw them (Ijaws) as the only owners of Niger Delta and South–South region.
But the ACF chairman told them that Arewa had already taken a position against creation of new states in the country and assured the Itsekiri people of support.
Chief Jemide discloed that the aim of their visit was to exchange ideas and seek for areas of cooperation between the Itsekiri ethnic nationality and their Arewa brothers.
“This is not novel. Such relationships once existed up to our Independence. Our link then was our late Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh whose relationship with the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello and our late Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa is well known. Such was the tie that they all suffered the same fate in the unfortunate and senseless coup of 1966. May their souls rest in perfect peace.
“One of the prominent children of the late Chief Okotie-Eboh is a member of our delegation present at this meeting. He is Chief Adolor Okotie-Eboh. Our other brothers, Mr Ejueyitsi and Allison Ayida as public servants also related with some of you during your public service years,” he stated.
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