Hardball

It is interesting that there are requests for the creation of 20 more states in the country. This will take the number of states to 56 from 36. A report said the Senate had proposed the creation of 20 more states. But Senate spokesman Ajibola Basiru said it was misinformation.

“The report is a gross misrepresentation of the decision of the committee on the request for creation of more states,” he said in a statement, adding that the committee did not recommend the creation of any additional state. He also said the committee “is not in a position to recommend or propose 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 clarification, he drew attention to the constitutional process concerning the creation of a new state.  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.

Read Also: Senate committee proposes 20 new states

Also, (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 two-thirds majority of members of each House of the National Assembly.

Based on this, the Senate Committee “decided to refer the requests received to Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure compliance with section 8 of the Constitution by conducting referendum in the areas.”

It is puzzling that there are requests for the creation of new states even in the middle of an intense long-term public debate on the need to restructure the country and review its practice of federalism.

Importantly, many of the existing states depend on federal allocation to survive because they lack resource control, which severely limits their internally generated revenue. Creating more states under the current arrangement will put more pressure on the federal purse.

This is not the time to pursue the creation of more states. The national question needs to be resolved, as well as the federalism issue. Then those who want new states can chase their dreams.