NATIONAL CONFERENCE: - Confab rejects North’s move to reverse decision on 18 states
Posted by Terhemba Daka and Karls Tsoka | 10 years ago | 4,245 times
INDICATIVE of the rift between the north and the south at the ongoing national conference, delegates from the two regions disagreed on the proposed creation of more states Monday.
The northern delegates particularly wanted to cause a reversal of last week’s adoption of the proposal by the conference for the creation of 18 additional states across the country.
The conference Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi, who faulted the move, insisted that a position had been taken by the meeting on the matter.
The delegates were also divided yesterday over the appropriate percentage to be recommended as derivation funds for the oil-producing states in the Niger Delta, amid the allegations of corrupt leadership being the cause of the poverty in the region.
While considering the conference report from the Committee on Devolution of Power co-chaired by Victor Attah and Ibrahim Coomasie, delegates stressed the proposal that the status quo should be maintained.
The report reads: “As contained in the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, the 13 per cent derivation should be retained with a proviso that a percentage of the 13 per cent derivation devolves to the communities (host communities) from which the resources are derived.”
While most delegates agitated for an increase in the percentage benchmark, others said that much of the consideration should be directed at the host communities since they suffered much of the environmental degradation and other ills of oil exploration.
Other submissions by some of the delegates to revisit the decision on the recommendation of the Committee on Political Restructuring and Forms of Government to create additional states was also roundly rejected by the leadership.
Contributing to the debate before the adoption of the votes and proceedings of the last plenary session, a delegate representing elder statesmen, Chief Edwin Clark, expressed worry over the plot by some of the northern delegates to undo the decisions already taken by the conference.
He said:”It is sad that as we approach the end of the conference issues are now being raised. We considered 19 reports, remaining only one and people are having second thoughts.
“But let me say this, this country called Nigeria which was amalgamated from north and south is made up of people of equal citizenship. That is, we all belong to a country where we are all equal. Nobody is superior to another. That was the basis of our coming together.
“We came to this conference in order to have harmonisation, consensus and some of us came out and consulted out fellow leaders. Can we have a meeting, a pre-conference meeting? This was up to last week.
“I consulted with Alhaji Gambo Jimeta, I consulted with Alhaji Kumasi, I consulted with Jerry Gana, and we met Olu Falae, Jerry Gana, Gen. Ike Nwachukwu and others. And we set up an 18-man committee to meet and resolve issues before we came to the floor.
“They met once in AIT conference room. After that, there are people who believe they know so much. Some of us here also have children who went to some of the best universities in the world, and no one should come to flaunt his professorship to others here.
“Prof. Yadudu, who was not selected by the north came there and objected to everything. He wrote a letter to Dokpesi that they have withdrawn, that no surrender. So we said can we meet so that we can resolve issues? Then we came to the open here, it is very unfair. Who defines important matters and who defines matters that are not important? Nobody!
“I think it will be unfair, Mr. Chairman, for some people to believe that only their point of view should be accepted. It must be on the terms of everybody in this country. No one is more important than another in this country. I am therefore appealing to all fellow delegates that we have come a long way. Nineteen reports have been considered by voice votes.
“We are no slaves to anybody and nobody is slave to us. Let us live in a country where every citizen is equal. It has been said, and we have been reading papers, that there will be crisis. There will be no crisis.
“We belong to this country and let us work together. We have just entered the second 100 years of this country. Some people wanted states to be created from their areas so that they can be equal Nigerians with other Nigerians. We have not come here to create states in every part of this country. Even if states were to be created there must be a reason for them to be created.
“For example, a situation where you have a state and only one part of the state produces the governor is not fair. So these people deserve states to be created so that they can also enjoy. States should be created. No sentiment should be brought here, we belong to a country where everybody is equal.”
A delegate from Sokoto State, Alhaji Mohammad Maigari Dingyadi, faulted the decisions of the conference and complained that most of the adoptions by the meeting were characterised by procedural errors which, according to him, should be revisited.
Prof. Aisha Madawaki faulted the criteria used by the conference to accept the recommendation for the creation of the suggested 18 additional states.
A delegate from Jigawa State, Prof. Ruquayyatu Ahmed Rufa’I, said that it was outside the purview of the conference to create states, and expressed the need for the creation of two additional states in the north west since according to her, it is the largest zone in the country.
A delegate representing Muslim Leaders, Muzzammil Sani Hanga, and Hajiya Talatu Nasir from Katsina State at the parley respectively also faulted the criteria used to determine the proposed states. While Hanga submitted that the recommendation of the committee on the issue of states creation should be expunged, Nasir said a new list should be compiled to form the basis for states creation.
In his contribution, a delegate of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria and the Alayemore of Ido Osun Oba Aderemi Adedapo called for the creation of Oduduwa State as the preferred one as an additional state from the south west zone with its capital in Ile- Ife. He said that Oduduwa was named as a state to be created and this had been on in the last 30 years.
According to him, the Council of Obas in Yorubaland decided 30 years ago for Oduduwa State and that Oduduwa means a lot to the people of south west and that the proposed Oduduwa State has a total of 1. 7 million people.
But a delegate representing the Senators’ Forum, Dr Nnamdi Eriobuna and Ibrahim Agboola Gambari called for restraint. According to Eriobuna, the conference can only make recommendations, but a body will be eventually set up by the authorities to decide the areas that are viable for states’ creation.
Other delegates who spoke earlier on the matter included Chief Robert Audu, Josephine Aneni, John Dara, Alhaji Abdullahi Ohoimah, Issah Aremu, and Sen Ibrahim Idah.
An amendment to the recommendation by the Committee on Political Restructuring and Forms of Government for states creation obtained by The Guardian yesterday showed a proposal for Edu State from the present Niger State, in the north central zone. It will be made up of the following local government councils: Agaie, Bida North, Edati, Gbako, Katcha, Lapai, Lavun and Mokwa. The state capital will be in Bida.
Apa State is to be created out of the present Benue State, in the North Central Zone. It will be made up of Agai, Bida, Bida North, Edati, Gbako, Katcha, Lapai, Lavun and Mokwa with state capital in Otukpo.
Kainji State from the present Kebbi and Niger States as a state in the north central to be made up of local government councils of Danko/ Wasagu, Fakai, Zuru, Shanga, Sakaba, Ngaski, Yauri, Rijau, Magama, Kontagora, Agwara, Borgu and Mashegu with state capital in Zuru.
Katagun State from the present Bauchi State, in the north east zone. The local governments will be Gamawa, Katagun, Damban, Misau, Giade, Shira, Jama’are, Itas/ Gadau, Zaki, and the state capital will be in Azare.
Savannah State from the present Borno State in the north east zone with the local governments as Gwoza, Chibok, Adkira/ Uba, Hawul, Shani, Kwaya- Kusar, Bayo and Damboa with state capital to be in Biu.
Amana State from the present Adamawa State in the north east zone to be made up of Maiha, Mubi North, Mubi South, Hong, Michika and Madagali local government councils with state capital to be in Mubi.
Gurara State from the present Kaduna State in the north west zone with Sanga, Jama’a, Jaba, Kargako, Kaura, Zango Kataf, Kachis, Kajuru, Chikun, Kauru, Lerr and Kaduna South with state capital in Kachia.
Ghari State from the present Kano State in the north central with Bagwai, Bichi, Dawakin Tofa, Dambatta, Gwarzo, Kabo, Kunchi, Makoda, Rimini Gado, Shanono, Tofa and Tsanyawa local governments.
Etiti State from the south east zone with Orumba North, Orumba South, Agwu, Anini, Oji River, Ivo, Afikpo North/ South, Okigwe, Onuimo, Ehime Mbano, Umunneochi and Isiukwuato as local governments.
Aba State from the present Abia State in south east with Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South, Obingwa, Aba South, Ugwunagbo, Aba North, Ukwa West, Ukwa East and Osisioma Ngwa as local governments with Nsukka as state capital.
Adada State from the present Enugu State in South East with Igbo-Etiti, Igbo-Eze north, Igbo- Eze south, Isi- Uzo, Nsukka, Udenu, and Uzo- Uwani as local governments with state capital in Nsukka.
Njaba/ Anim state from the present Anambra State from the south east with Orlu, Orsu, Oru West, Ohaji/ Egbema, Oguta, Njaba, Isu, Nwangele, Ideato North, Ideato South and Ihiala as local governments with state capital to be in Orlu.
Anioma State from the present Delta State in the south south zone with Anioma North, Anioma South, Ika North- East, Ika South, Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, Oshimili North, Oshimili South and Ukwuani as local governments and Asaba as capital.
Ogoja State from the present Cross River State, south south with Bekwarra, Boki, Etung, Ikom, Obanliku, Obubra, Obudu, Ogoja and Yala with state capital to be in Ogoja.
The third state to be created in the south south will be named later, along with its state capital and the local government councils.
Ijebu State from the present Ogun State in the south west zone, with Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu North, Ijebu North East, Ogun Waterside, Odogbolu, Ijebu East, Shagamu, Ikenne and Remo North and the state capital to be in Ijebu-Ode.
New Oyo State from the present Oyo State in the south west zone with Irepo, Olorunsogo, Oorelope, Saki East, Saki West, Atisbo, Itesiwaju, Iwajowa, Kajola, Iseyin, Afijio, Oyo East, Atiba, Ogo Oluwa, Surulere, Ogbomoso North, Ogbomosho South and Orire.
The third state to be created in the south west will be named later, along with its capital and local government councils.
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