February 12, 2025

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Tinubu, very serious about  creating parity state for S’East – Rep Ogah *  As constituents endorse Etiti state proposal

Amobi Ogah

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Tinubu, very serious about  creating parity state for S’East – Rep Ogah

*  As constituents endorse Etiti state proposal

By Steve Oko

 

Member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Amobi Ogah, has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is genuinely committed to creating additional state for the South East geopolitical zone to bring the zone at par with other zones in the country.

Wawa News Global reports that while four of the six geopolitical zones has six states each, and North West seven, only the South East has five states.

The Labour Party lawmaker who spoke weekend, during town hall meetings with his constituents at Isuikwuato and Umunneochi respectively, said the creation of a parity state for South East would address a lot of injustice against the zone, and help fast-track development in the region.

Rep. Ogah who sponsored the motion for Etiti State creation which has already passed a second reading at the House of Representatives, said the proposal enjoys wider acceptance and support of both lawmakers and the masses.

He said:” The good news is that Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, sincerely wants to create additional state for South East so we can be at par with other zones. When he said he would create the South East Development Commission, we thought it was a joke but today, we have seen it’s a reality.

” So, he has again shown commitment to balance the inequality in number of states. And we have sponsored the Bill for the creation of Etiti State which is the only Bill that has passed the second reading, and it is generally accepted by my colleagues.

” We know our brothers in Delta State are pushing for Anioma State but what we are saying is that Etiti State should be the first option because it will balance the inequality and injustice against South East.

” The truth is that South East has lost so much for having the least number of states in Nigeria. As a lawmaker, I came to Abuja and I found out that Nigeria is running a government of ‘sharing formula’.

” Kano alone has 44 Local Government Areas. The number of House of Representatives’ members from Kano and Kaduna alone is more than the entire South East put together”.

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Rep. Ogah who commended President Tinubu for his bold step towards addressing Igbo marginalisation , urged his constituents to key into the Etiti State movement, which he traced to late Senator Uche Chukwumerije and other illustrious sons of the area.

Describing the proposal as the most equitable as each of the existing five states in the zone will donate at least two LGAs, the lawmaker called for unity among the people in pursuing the project.

” There is need for our people to support Etiti State creation movement. From the way it is drafted, 11 LGAs were picked from the current five states with each of them donating two LGAs except Enugu that has three. In Abia, we have Isuikwuato and Umunneochi; Anambra has Orumba North and Orumba South LGAs; Imo has Okigwe and Onuimo LGAs; Ebonyi has Ivo and Ohozara; while Enugu has Aninri, Awgu and Oji River LGAs ”

The Rep member further noted with concern that the affected Councils “are the most neglected” in their current states, arguing that creating a new state for them will be a way to give the people a sense of belonging.

” If you look at all these LGAs, they are the most neglected in their current states. Where do Umunneochi and Isuikwuato belong to in Abia? They are not even included in the design for electricity that’s why we are having light issues. If you go to Umunze you wonder whether they’re in Anambra or Imo. If you go to Okigwe, it’s the most confused LGA in the South East. The story is the same in Ivo and Awgu. So, these people need to be remembered”.

He said that public hearing would soon be held on the Bill, expressing hope that the Bill would scale through third reading and be passed into law.

The lawmaker further said that part of the reasons Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is agitating for the restoration of Biafra is because of the entrenched marginalisation by the Nigeria State against the Igbo nation, arguing that creation of parity state will help reduce tension in the South East.

” The genuineness of Kanu’s agitation cannot be questioned. He may not get it right but through government we can get it right if we have people speaking for us. There was a vacuum, and our people see him as the saviour. But we cannot get anything by fighting. Dialogue and engagement are what we need”.

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Govs should allow LGAs to breathe

 

Speaking further, the lawmaker frowned at the penchant of Governors to control Council funds, regretting that the anomaly is impeding development at the grassroots.

He argued that most of the expectations of the people from lawmakers were things the LGA authorities would have ordinarily provided if they had unfettered access to their funds.

” There is no LGA in Nigeria today that does not get at least N250 million every month as allocation from the federal government. That’s why the Governors are holding tight to LGA allocations. But the National Assembly and Mr President are working hard to free the LGAs from the claws of the Governors by granting them financial autonomy so we can witness develop in our communities.

” If N250 million gets to every LGA monthly, you can imagine the level of development that will be seen at the grassroots. This will remove a lot of burden from lawmakers because many of what our constituents want us to do are actually the duty of LGAs. But we are working hard to liberate them”.

Presenting his scorecard earlier, Rep. Ogah said he influenced the inclusion of projects worth over N4 billion for the constituency in the 2024 budget, but regretted that non release of funds installed the execution of some of them.

He, however, vowed not to relent in lobbying and mounting pressure on the relevant Ministries and agencies to ensure the constituency gets its fare share of the national cake.

He also promised to sustain his empowerment schemes which, according to him, preceded his entry into politics, arguing that the only way to crash crime rate is through meaningful empowerment of youths.

Meanwhile, speaker after speaker, expressed strong support for the proposed Etiti State, which according to them, is very viable and heavily endowed with human and mineral resources including crude oil for self sustenance.

READ ALSO:  Rep Ogah shares 501 50kg bags of rice, wrappers, cash to constituents * Laments high cost of election litigation, renews call for Kanu's release

Responding, the Bishop of Okigwe Methodist Diocese, Bishop Livinus Bereonwu Onugha, said for the sake of equity, Etiti State should be the sixth state for the South East before any other proposal could be considered.

Commending Ogah for his efforts towards the project, the Bishop known for his vocality against Igbo marginalisation, called on politicians to do more in job creation and youth empowerment to reduce the rising crime wave.

He decried an emerging dangerous trend among youths in the area *where youths begin to drink and smoke early in the morning”, warning of the grave implications of such trend if unchecked.

Bishop Onugha commended the efforts of Abia State Government and security agencies in quelling insecurity around Umunneochi/Isuikwuato axis which was at a time, the hub if kidnapping for ransom.

In a remark, President General of Nneato Community, Chief George Okafor, thanked Ogah for his efforts towards the state creation, adding that the discovery of oil in Nneato by Shell, has already put the proposed state at an edge above some other proposals.

Earlier in a remark, the Chairman of the occasion and the immediate-past Vice President of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Dr Kingsley Dozie, appealed to other regions to support the move to give South East a parity state as already recommended in both the 2005 and 2014 Constitutional Conferences.

Other speakers including the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Abia State, Mr Chaka Chukwumerije; former Heavy Weight Champion, Osita Offor (a k.a the Ultimate Commander); oil don, Chris Igwe; former Council boss, Chief Steve Egbo; traditional rulers, women leaders, youth leaders and stakeholders in Umunneochi, all voiced their unwavering support for the state creation movement.

They also commended Hon. Ogah for what they called his “impactful services and quality representation”, urging him to strive to surpass the records set by his predecessors.

 

Steve Oko, Publisher/C.E.O, WaWa News Global. For more information on advert placement and news coverage, contact us on: 08038725600, or via email stevemanofgod2000@yahoo.com; wawanewsglobal@gmail.com Always read WaWa News Global - Your most dependable online news platform for the latest breaking news in Nigeria.

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