Business
NASS Receives 40 State Creation Request
The Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Dimeji Bankole, last Wednesday advised state agitators to return their representatives to the National Assembly in 2011.
Bankole gave the advice in Abuja while receiving two separate delegations requesting for the creation of New Delta and Toru-Ebe States for Urhobo and Ijaw ethnic nationalities.
The Speaker told the delegations, which included traditional rulers, that the parliament had so far received more than 40 requests for state creation.
“I agreed with all the 40 requests, the more they come, the more I agree with them,’’ he said.
Bankole said since all the requests were genuine, it was necessary for all the affected states agitators to carry their members in the National Assembly along in their activities and ensure their re-election in 2011.
“Here in the National Assembly, the issue of ranking is so important. It is first come, first served.
“If you send new members, they will have to queue before their requests are looked into,’’ he advised.
Bankole said that to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy, it would be in the overall interest of the state agitators to return their experienced members to be able to champion their cause without fear or favour.
“Both Urhobo and Ijaw nations have been good to Nigeria and Nigeria too has been good to you.
“So, hold firmly to your members in National Assembly because we have respect for our ranking members,’’ he said.
Bankole, however, promised not to fail the agitators when the time comes to support them in their quest for state creation.
Earlier, Sen. Fred Brume presented the memorandum for the creation of New Delta out of the present Delta State with the capital in Orerokpke.
Brume commended the National Assembly for completing its work on the review of the 1999 Constitution.
He said the Urhobo nation was the fifth largest ethnic nationality in Nigeria and has a population of 2.1 million people.
According to him, the area has human capital and natural resources and it is economically viable as every part of the state bears oil and gas with more than 400 wells.
Presenting the memorandum for the creation of Toru-Ebe State from the present Delta, Edo and Ondo states, the chairman of the movement, Chief Bini Pere III, the Agadagba of Egbema, said the Ijaw nation had been balkanised since 1914.
Pere said the Ijaw being the fourth largest ethnic group in Nigeria were in Edo, Ondo, Delta and Bayelsa States and have no state of their own.
He said the creation of Toru-Ebe state would create stability and wealth as well as bring peace, fairness, justice and equity to the area.
The two groups came in their full cultural regalia.
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