The Arewa Consultative Forum has expressed strong opposition to the proposed creation of 31 new states by the House of Representatives.
Describing the idea as unnecessary, Arewa argued that the creation of more states may invariably lead to more division in the country.
Chronicle NG reports that the House of Representatives Constitution Review Committee’s proposed creation of 31 additional states besides the country’s 36 existing states has sparked widespread reactions from prominent Nigerians and groups across the country.
The proposal was contained in a letter to the House of Representatives read during Thursday’s plenary by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session in the absence of the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas.
The committee, chaired by Kalu, proposed an additional six new states in the North-Central, four in the North-East, five in the North-West, five in the South-South, and seven in the South-West.
The states being considered include Okun, Okura, and Confluence from Kogi; Benue Ala and Apa from Benue; FCT State; Amana from Adamawa; Katagum from Bauchi; Savannah from Borno; Muri from Taraba; New Kaduna and Gujarat from Kaduna State; Tiga and Ari from Kano; Kainji from Kebbi; Etiti and Orashi as the sixth states in the South-East; Adada from Enugu; and Orlu and Aba.
Others are Ogoja from Cross River, Warri from Delta, Ori and Obolo from Rivers, Torumbe from Ondo, Ibadan from Oyo, Lagoon from Lagos, and Ogun, Ijebu from Ogun, and Oke Ogun/Ijesha from Oyo/Ogun/Osun States.
Speaking on the proposal, the National Publicity Secretary of the Arewa forum, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, stated that the forum was not in support of the proposed creation of new states, citing the country’s complexity and the potential for creating more problems.
According to him, the more states created, the more demands that will emerge, leading to more acrimonies.
He questioned the economic viability of the existing 36 states, emphasising the administrative burdens and overhead costs associated with governorship and civil service.
The ACF spokesperson, who spoke in an interview in Kaduna on Thursday, emphasised that creating new states would be too expensive and unnecessary and would only provide opportunities for the elite to assume leadership positions without necessarily improving the economic viability of the states.
He said, “We have not seen the details of the proposed states, but it’s ridiculous. How long are we going to be creating states and creating problems in this country?
“How many of the 36 states are viable economically? How many of the states can carry the administrative burdens of governorship and all it takes—the civil service and the amount of expenditure on overhead?
“Honestly, I don’t think the creation of states is our priority because it’s too expensive and unnecessary, and there is no way it will stop. It’s opening up room for more demands and more acrimony.”
Instead of creating new states, the Arewa Forum chieftain urged the government to focus on addressing the social and economic challenges facing the people.
“We hope that more rational heads will prevail over the issue, but right now, honestly, it’s not the priority; affecting the lives and the social-economic standing of the people is a better objective to pursue.
“Creation of a state, as we have seen, will not solve our problems. It will give some elites a chance to assume leadership positions with all the perks that are attached to the office, but honestly, we don’t think economically, they will be viable,” Muhammad-Baba said.
