Aba State creation is about equity – Theo Nkire

FROM= EVEREST EZIHE, Owerri

As the nation’s Constitution Amendment Committee is about rounding up her nation wide public hearing, the members of Aba State Movement has told the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution that the request for the creation of Aba State was a quest for equity based on history stretching more than 40 years.

Chief Theo Nkire, who presented the case for the proposed Aba State, in Owerri, recalled that the House of Representatives passed a motion for a referendum on the creation of Aba, Abia, Ebonyi, and Enugu States from the then Anambra and Imo States in January 1982. In June 1983, the Senate passed the same motion on the creation of Aba, Abia, Ebonyi, and Enugu States from the then Anambra and Imo States. On the same day the National Assembly confirmed the four States and others for referendum.

“Of the four States the National Assembly confirmed for referendum by 1983 Aba State is the only one that has not been created from the South East,” he said, waving copies of the 39-year-old Hansard that reported the National Assembly’s decision.

Chief Nkire, first Attorney-General of Abia State, said that most recently Aba State’s case was made by a Committee that Chief John Nnia Nwodo, immediate past President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, inaugurated on 11 September 2018, in his capacity as the President-General of Ohanaeze. The Committee’s mandate was to evaluate requests for more States in the South East.

According to Chief Nkire, the conclusion of the Committee’s report to Governor Dave Umahi, Chairman, South East Governors’ Forum stated, “The Committee considered the merit for the creation of Aba and Adada State respectively, resolved and recommended for the creation of Aba State with 12 members supporting and 5 abstaining. The Committee also recommended that any other State Creation exercise in the South-East should give Adada State priority.” The report was dated 10 October 2018.

Aba State Movement, he said, stood by the report of the Ohanaeze Committee on State Creation. Chief Nwodo, who was Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide President-General until January 2021, set up the Committee. “The Ohanaeze Committee, under Chief Nwodo’s Presidency recommended the creation of Aba State,” Chief Nkire said while asking the National Assembly to consider that the request for the creation of Aba State additionally came with proofs that it had meet the requirements in Sections 8 and 9 of the Constitution as they relate to creation of States.

President Muhammadu Buhari had promised an Ohanaeze delegation Chief Nwodo led to Abuja in November 2017 of an extra State to be created out of South East geopolitical region.

Chief Nwodo inaugurated the 2018 Ohanaeze Committee. It was the process in realisation of an extra State in the South East as the President promised.