‘Why State Creation Is Not Feasible Now’

The Senator representing Cross River South in the nation’s apex lawmaking body, Bassey Otu, has advised those clamouring? for states creation to relax their current agitation until the current challenges in the political system in the country fizzle out.

Senator Otu, who was speaking to newsmen in Calabar, the Cross River State capital also stated that although the creation of new states was necessary to afford agitators an opportunity for self-determination in a federating unit, the exercise should be suspended for now in view of other critical challenges bedeviling the country.

He said that more states are necessary in Nigeria under a peaceful climate couple with immense? infrastructural wealth to make states self-sufficient and crucial components of the country.

According to him, rather than emphasise so much on states creation now,agitations should be channelled into peace-building,stable polity and infrastructure development adding that what Nigeria requires now is unity for meaningful development and progress.

Otu also advised agitators for new states to eschew bitterness and rancour while their dreams persist.

On the current bickering in the leadership of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, the senator described the situation as a distraction, adding that the forum is irrelevant in the country’s political system.

He said Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers and Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau, the principal actors in the NGF crisis, have freedom of association for mutual benefit to deliver democratic dividends to the electorate, but that it was despicable for the governors to regard themselves as another arm of government, a trade union or labour leaders in Nigeria.