Senator Osita Izunaso represents Imo West at the National Assembly on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview with SANNI ONOGU in Abuja he speaks on the agitation for an additional state for the Southeast geo-political zone. He also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for honouring former Chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC), the late Professor Humphrey Nwosu, with the national award of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), for his contributions to advancing democracy.
Yes, we deserve an additional state. If all the regions in the country have six states, the Southeast should also have six to balance the equation. Forget about the North West, which has seven—that’s not the issue. We’re simply asking for the one state we’re short of. That’s why I proposed the creation of ANIM State, which has already passed second reading in the Senate and is now before the Constitution Review Committee.
ANIM stands for Anambra and Imo—‘A-N’ for Anambra and ‘I-M’ for Imo. It essentially comprises my senatorial district plus some areas in Anambra State that have agreed to be part of it. You can’t create a state by fiat; it requires a referendum. But the people involved have agreed. I’m a strong advocate for one more state in the Southeast.
How can security agencies differentiate between legitimate grievances and criminal elements amid the insecurity in the Southeast region?
I moved a motion at the start of this Senate advocating that the issue of Nnamdi Kanu be considered politically. I stated that, although the matter is in court, it should receive political consideration because I believe that if he is granted bail, the insecurity in the South East would significantly decrease. It may not stop completely, but it will drop drastically.
Right now, criminals are hijacking the cause, claiming they’re fighting for Nnamdi Kanu. If he’s granted bail, they’d lose that cover. Once these criminals are caught, they’d be treated as what they truly are—criminals. My motion was supported by other senators and was adopted.
You’re proposing a bill to increase the number of Supreme Court Justices from 21 to 30. What informed this?
Yes, I’m sponsoring a bill to increase the number of Supreme Court Justices from 21 to 30. The Constitution currently provides for 21, and this is the first time the Supreme Court has had a full complement, thanks to the confirmation of 11 new Justices. But even at 21, it’s still not enough.
They sit in panels of five for regular matters and seven for constitutional issues. With 30 Justices, you can have multiple panels sitting concurrently. Right now, the Supreme Court is assigning hearing dates as far off as 2027 or 2028. That’s unacceptable.
Beyond increasing the number, some matters should not even reach the Supreme Court. For instance, land disputes from my village shouldn’t go that far. Some issues should end at the High Court or the Court of Appeal. Local disputes like tenancy or land should start and end within the local legal system. People familiar with the local context would handle such cases better.
Eliminating land matters from the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction could cut its caseload by half. Imagine tenancy disputes, like unpaid rent, going to the Supreme Court. How does that make sense?
There’s a case I know: someone bought a house, but it was allegedly sold to someone else by a third party. The matter went all the way to the Supreme Court. That’s a waste of the Court’s time. We need to decongest the apex court and let it focus on serious matters like murder, terrorism, and other crimes of national significance.
You were vocal in advocating for Professor Humphrey Nwosu’s recognition for his role in deepening democracy. Though the bill did not scale through, President Tinubu honoured him on June 12. How did you feel about that?
Yes, I was one of the sponsors of the motion to honour Prof. Nwosu. I spoke passionately against those opposing it. Today, we have been vindicated. I sincerely commend Mr. President for taking the path of honour.
Humphrey Nwosu deserves much more. The present INEC headquarters should have been named after him. Mr. President has shown true leadership. He could have ignored the idea because the Senate voted against it, but he didn’t. He acted on principle, not politics.
Senate motions are not binding laws, so he wasn’t obligated. Yet, he chose to do the right thing. I also want to appreciate everyone who played a part in Nigeria’s democratic journey. I was part of the struggle, too, when I was younger. If I had been a bit older, perhaps I would’ve been honoured as well. Hopefully, my time will come.
Let’s talk about the Investments and Securities Bill, which was signed into law. You’ve argued that achieving a $1 trillion economy is impossible without a vibrant capital market. Can you elaborate?
I sponsored the Investments and Securities Bill, which has now been signed into law. It’s a landmark piece of legislation. It now serves as the law governing everything related to capital markets and investments in Nigeria.
For instance, under this law, if you’re caught operating a Ponzi scheme, you face 20 years’ imprisonment. It also legalises cryptocurrency, empowering the SEC to regulate digital assets. That wasn’t the case before.
This Act supports at least four of President Tinubu’s eight-point agenda. We can’t talk about a $1 trillion economy without a strong capital market. Where will the money come from? The capital market is key, alongside the money market, regulated by the CBN.
Even the e-Naira project struggled because it involved capital market elements. At first, CBN opposed crypto, but Nigeria is the second-largest crypto market globally. Our youth are earning big from it. By regulating it, we can benefit. Blockchain is borderless. If we don’t regulate, the transactions will continue outside the country’s financial system.
We are planning a formal unveiling of the Act because many people don’t yet understand the scope and implications of this transformative law. It has birthed a new SEC and a new financial ecosystem.
On constituency projects, you previously mentioned that your senatorial district is one of the largest. What challenges does this pose?
I represent the largest senatorial district in southern Nigeria, 12 local government areas. The next closest district in my state has only six. So, the burden is immense.
When we want to hold town hall meetings in local governments, we often have no suitable venue. People must travel long distances to the senatorial or state capital. That’s why we’re building international conference centres in nearly every local government, bringing communication and governance closer to the people.
We’re also executing road projects and investing heavily in agriculture. I believe everyone can do something. If you don’t have a formal job, engage in farming. We’ve conducted training in cassava cultivation, piggery, poultry, and more.
This year, we’re focused on empowering those trained by setting them up in small-scale agribusinesses. I also awarded scholarships to 200 tertiary students last year and 100 this year; all from year one to graduation. We support even those in six-year programs like medicine. I believe in education. It’s better to be unemployed than unemployable.
I want to be remembered for the lives I touched. Nothing makes me happier than hearing someone say, “I benefited from your scholarship.” That’s more satisfying to me than winning N100 million.
You also mentioned training constituents in Artificial Intelligence (AI). How is that progressing?
Yes, we are currently training 1,000 youths in AI in partnership with a Lagos-based company. AI is the future, and you don’t need a formal degree to excel in it. Some trainees from the first batch have already landed jobs, even working remotely for foreign companies.
With AI and the internet, people can live in Nigeria and work for companies in the U.S. or Canada. That’s where the world is heading. However, the challenge is interest and discipline. Out of 1,000 trainees, we’d be lucky to have 300 truly committed participants.
We provide laptops and full support, but many young people are not serious. That’s frustrating. They don’t realise the opportunity is for their benefit, not mine. I’m just paying for it.
We’re also building cottage hospitals and school blocks. Once completed, we’ll hand over the hospitals to the state or faith-based organisations. These projects are standard, but we’re also thinking outside the box in areas such as AI training, scholarships, and more.
On street lighting, I’ve seen some misleading reports linking inflated figures to lighting projects. From what I know, no streetlight pole costs up to N200 million. Many cost between N350,000 and N1.3 million. Let’s be fair and realistic with our assessments.
