Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, PhD, CFR has said that proponents of State creation from the South East will make a presentation to defend their request before the National Assembly members.
He made the disclosure when the leaders of Aba State Movement from Ukwa/Ngwa bloc in the current Abia State led by the first Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of the State, Chief Theo Nkire paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja on Tuesday.
Kalu said that an invitation will be extended to everyone to defend their request.
Recall that a Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives on Constitution Review during their retreat in Lagos over the weekend, on the basis of equity, justice and fairness, unanimously approved the creation of an additional State in the South East region to bring it at par with other geopolitical zones in the country.
He said that the seekers of the proposed State in the region must advance plausible reasons on the population and economic viability of the proposed State.
Kalu further explained that the delegation comprising Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senator Austin Akobundu, Hon. Chris Nkwota, Hon. Munachim Alozie, Senator Nkechi Nwogu, Hon. Uzo Azubuike, Chief Sam Nkire, His Royal Majesty, Eze Love Wogu, His Royal Majesty, Eze Tony Wabara; Dr. Onye Achilihu, and a host of others would be given the opportunity to speak to a wider audience of south-eastern stakeholders to convince the region of the merits of their request.
He said: “You are going to be called upon to defend your request. Beyond the historical analysis are the economics of the project. The design. Will it stand a comparative analysis with others? Can it compete? We are going to give an opportunity for everybody looking for a State to come and make a presentation to convince the South Easterners why it must be here or there and whether it will be sustainable.
“We are proposing a meeting in early November where the whole Igbo stakeholder will make a presentation at a public hearing and give convincing reasons that they want the State. They will give statistics of the population, economic viability of the project, show the map and all that. It must be very convincing”.
Earlier in his presentation, Chief Nkire who spoke on behalf of the delegation highlighted the historical background of the request for Aba State, saying it is the oldest and most viable with good economy and population to be created.
According to him, the request which dates back to 1954, gained national prominence through a landmark presentation before the Willink Minority Commission of 1957.
He also noted that the proposed State, comprising Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South, Aba North, Aba South, Obingwa, Osisioma Ngwa, Ugwunagbo, Ukwa East, and Ukwa West Local Government Areas, has, since the pre-independence era, remained a cohesive socio-political and economic bloc, united by shared ancestry, enterprise and geography.
Nkire added that Ohaneze Ndi Igbo also endorsed the creation of Aba State in 2018.
He however expressed gratitude to the national assembly for approving an additional State in the South East region.
“In 1983 the National Assembly passed a resolution for a referendum for the creation of Aba State, it is regrettable that, despite Aba’s undeniable viability as the commercial heartbeat of the South-East and a symbol of Igbo industry and resilience, this vision remains unrealized. The creation of Aba State is therefore not merely a political demand but a long-overdue rectification of neglect, a moral fulfillment of history, and a strategic step toward equity, inclusion and balanced national growth.
“Renewed momentum arose in 2014 when the National Conference, convened by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, expressly recommended the creation of Aba State as the additional state needed to redress the long-standing geopolitical imbalance in the South East.
“The above position was further validated by Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex socio-cultural and decision-making body of the Igbo nation, which, in 2018, through its special committee on state creation, specifically endorsed the creation of Aba State, thereby reaffirming the collective aspiration of the South East and giving fresh impetus to this long-pursued and equitable cause.
“The persistent call for Aba State is neither opportunistic nor unfounded, but a just and time-honoured pursuit rooted in history, equity and decades of documented agitation for balanced national development. The Movement remains confident that through strategic unity, informed advocacy and constitutional compliance, the dream of Aba State will be realised in alignment with the aspirations of the Ukwa/Ngwa people, the South-East geopolitical zone and the Nigerian Federation at large”, he said through a document presented during the visit.
