The Nigeria Senate has proposed for the creation of 20 new states within the country to bring the sum of states to 56. The Senate Committee on Constitution Review has recommended that a referendum should be conducted for 20 new states by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). It was gathered that the committee’s decision was reached after considering various factors including the ability of civilian administration to create states.
However, the Senate gave conditions for the creation of 20 new states which are contained in a statement by the Senate Spokesperson and Chairman, Senate Committee of Media and Public Affairs, Ajibola Basiru.
In the statement titled, ‘Senate Committee did not propose the creation of 20 New States’, Bashiru said the 20 new states would only approve the creation of any if there is compliance with the provisions of section 8 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic as amended.
Among the provisions of the section are having a referendum by at least two-thirds majority of the people of the area; and approval by a two-thirds majority of members of each House of the National Assembly.
According to the statement “Our attention has been drawn to a media report that the Senate Committee of Review of 1999 Constitution has proposed the creation of additional 20 States.
"The report is a gross misrepresentation of the decision of the committee on the request for creation of more states. Far from recommending the creation of any state, the Senate Committee, while acknowledging receipts of several Bills proposing the creation of new states, decided that it is not in a position to recommend or proposed the creation of any state unless there is compliance with the provisions of section 8 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic as amended.
“For ease of reference, Section 8 of the Constitution provides:
An Act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new State shall only be passed if-
(a) a request, supported by at least two-thirds majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new State) in each of the following, namely –
(i) the Senate and the House of Representatives,
(ii) the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and
(iii) the local government councils in respect of the area, is received by the National Assembly;
(b) a proposal for the creation of the State is thereafter approved in a referendum by at least two-thirds majority of the people of the area where the demand for creation of the State originated;
(c) the result of the referendum is then approved by a simple majority of all the States of the Federation supported by a simple majority of members of the Houses of Assembly; and
(d) the proposal is approved by a resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of members of each House of the National Assembly.
“In view of the above, the Senate Committee is not in a position to propose the creation of any state as reported. Rather the committee decided to refer the requests received to INEC to ensure compliance with section 8 of the Constitution by conducting a referendum in the areas if the requests supported by at least two-thirds majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new State) in the Senate, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly in the area.
“The above clarifications are imperative to set the record straight.”
The proposed states are:
– ITAI State (from Akwa Ibom State)
– State status for the FCT
-Katagum State from Bauchi State
– Okura State from Kogi East
– Adada State from Enugu State
– Gurara State from Kaduna South
– Ijebu State from Ogun State
-Ibadan State from Oyo State
– Tiga State from Kano State
-Ghari State from Kano State
– Amana State from Adamawa
– Gongola State from Adamawa
– Mambilla State from Taraba State
– Savannah State from Borno State
-Okun state from Kogi State.
– Etiti State from the South East Zone
– Orashi State from Imo and Anambra states
-Njaba from the present Imo State
-Excision of Aba State from Abia State;
-Anioma State from Delta State
– Torogbene and Oil River States, from Bayelsa Delta and Rivers states
-Bayajida State from parts of Katsina, Jigawa, and Zamfara states.
Aside from the creation of states, to check tax evasion, the Senate panel also approved the amendment of the 1999 Constitution to allow for the creation of the Federal Revenue Court. There will be about five revenue courts to deal with all tax issues nationwide, especially cases involving multinational firms.
