Bill to create another South-east state emerges in Reps

A bill to create Etiti State has been introduced on the floor of the House of Representatives and passed for first reading.

The bill, sponsored by Amobi Ogah (LP, Abia), Miriam Onuoha (APC, Imo), Kama Nkemkama (LP, Ebonyi), Chinwe Nnabuife (YPP, Anambra), and Anayo Onwuegbu (LP, Enugu), was introduced on Tuesday during plenary.

The constitution alteration bill seeks to carve out a new state from the five South-east states of Abia, Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Imo.

According to the synopsis of the bill, it seeks to alter three sections of the 1999 constitution. First, to delete the word 36 and replace it with the word 37. Secondly, to insert the word Etiti immediately after Enugu in the list of states contained in the Constitution.

It also seeks to alter the listing of local governments according to states and transfer the 11 local government areas from their current states to the new state.

The local governments to be affected are Isuikwuato and Umu-Nneochi (Abia), Orumba North and Orumba South (Anambra), Ivo and Ohaozara (Ebonyi), Aninri, Agwu and Oji River (Enugu), as well as Okigwe and Onuimo (Imo).

This is not the first time this bill has been introduced on the floor of the House. It was one of the bills introduced in the 8th Assembly but failed to scale the constitutional hurdle.

The South-east region has the least number of states out of the six geopolitical zones. The region has five states. While South-south, South-west, North-east, and North-central have six states each, North-west has seven states.

Division over extra state in South-east

Meanwhile, there is another bill seeking to create a new state in the South-east. The bill, sponsored by Ikenga Ugochinyere, aims to create Orlu State from Abia, Imo, and Anambra State.

Mr Ugochinyere’s bill has polarised the South-east caucus in the House, with some members openly opposed to the proposed Orlu State.

Peter Uzokwe, who represents Nnewi North/Nnewi South/Ekwusigo federal constituency of Anambra State, recently told journalists that Mr Ugochinyere did not consult the caucus before introducing the bill.

“What my colleague did was to take the Imo map and the Anambra map and start carving out places as he pleases. He did it just to embarrass me because this is my local government. Could he have done that to Nnewi? He dare not.

“I would have loved him to carve out Nnewi. State creation is a permanent thing that can bring war, that can bring border issues. Tomorrow, you will hear that Igbos are killing themselves because they don’t have blood ties,” Mr Uzokwe said during the interview.