BREAKING: HoRs Committee Omits ‘Anioma State’ As Warri Makes List Of Proposed 31 New States

The House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution has proposed the creation of 31 new states, but notably absent from the list is the much-anticipated ‘Anioma State’.

BIGPEN NIGERIA (https://bigpenngr.com) reports that the committee received proposals from across the six geopolitical zones, with five from the North Central, four from the North East, and others from the remaining zones.

Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu who read a letter from the committee during plenary, said that the committee outlined specific requirements, including a request supported by at least two-thirds majority of members of the Senate, House of Representatives, and House of Assembly in respect of the area that must be met before any state creation requests can be approved.

According to the letter, the proposals include five from the North Central, four from the North East, five from the North West, five from the South East, four from the South South, and seven from the South West.

Among the states being considered are Okun, Okura, and Confluence (Kogi); Benue Ala and Apa (Benue); FCT State; Amana (Adamawa); Katagum (Bauchi); Savannah (Borno); and Muri (Taraba).

The states also include New Kaduna state and Gujarat states from Kaduna state; Tiga and Ari from Kano, and Kainji from Kebbi state; Etiti and Orashi as the 6th state in the South East, Adada from Enugu, Orlu abd Aba from. The South East.

They also include 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, Oke Ogun/Ijesha from Oyo/Ogun/Osun states

According to the letters, section 8 of the 1999 Constitution as amended outlines specific requirements that must be fulfilled to initiate the process of state creation.

The letter read in part, “The committee proposes the creation of 31 new states. As amended, this section outlines specific requirements that must be fulfilled to initiate the process of state creation, which include the following:

“1. New state and boundaries

An act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new state shall only be passed if it requires support by at least the third majority of members.

“2. The House of Representatives, the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and the Local Government Council in respect of the area are received by the National Assembly.

“Local government advocates for the creation of additional local government areas are only reminded that Section 8 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, applies to this process.

Specifically, in accordance with Section 8 (3) of the Constitution, the outcome of the votes of the State Houses of Assembly in the referendum must be forwarded to the National Assembly for fulfilment of state demands.

“Proposals shall be resubmitted in strict adherence to the stipulations. Submit three hard copies of the full proposal of the memoranda to the Secretariat of the Committee at Room H331, House of Representatives, White House, National Assembly Complex, and Abuja.

“Sub-copies must also be sent electronically to the Committee’s email address at info.hccr.gov.nj. For further information or contact, please contact the Committee Clerk at 08069-232381.

The committee remains committed to supporting the implementing efforts that align with the Constitutional provisions and would only consider proposals that comply with the stipulated guidelines. This is coming from the Clerk of the Committee on Constitutional Review.”

However, the absence of Anioma State from the list has raised eyebrows.

Meanwhile, Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution which had earlier acknowledged receipt of dozens of requests seeking the creation of new states across the federation, reiterated that creation of new states would only be possible if “there is compliance with the provisions of section 8 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic as amended”.

“Far from recommending creation of any state, the Senate Committee, while acknowledging receipts of several Bills proposing 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”, Ajibola Basiru, the Senate Committee of Media and Public Affairs had said on multiple reports that Senate Committee proposed the creation of 20 New States.