News, Politics

All We Need Is One More State for the South-East: Ozekhome Criticizes Reps Over Proposal for 31 New States

Published by Tope Fakinlede on February 9th, 2025.

All We Need Is One More State for the South-East: Ozekhome Criticizes Reps Over Proposal for 31 New States

Professor Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and human rights lawyer, has expressed strong disapproval of the House of Representatives’ recent suggestion to create 31 additional states in Nigeria. Ozekhome argues that what the country truly needs is just one more state for the South-East to ensure equal representation across all geopolitical zones.

In a statement issued to Sundiata Post on Saturday, Ozekhome blasted lawmakers for prioritizing what he deemed a trivial issue—adding 31 states—while neglecting the real challenges Nigerians face, particularly the country’s pressing economic struggles. He emphasized that the current states in Nigeria are unsustainable without constant financial support from the federal government, and questioned the rationale behind creating more states under such circumstances.

He said: “I am both surprised and disheartened by the proposal from members of the National Assembly to add 31 more states to an already bloated 36-state structure. In the face of more urgent national matters, this is nothing short of political grandstanding and an exercise in futility.”

Ozekhome continued by highlighting that the majority of existing states are not financially viable and rely heavily on federal funding to survive, which he described as a form of life support under section 162 of the 1999 Constitution. He raised doubts about the value of creating new states when many of the existing ones are struggling to meet basic needs.

“How can we consider adding more states when so many of the current ones are financially dependent on federal allocations? These states are merely surviving on federal handouts, making it illogical to create new ones that will likely face the same fate,” he said.

He further criticized the proposal as a meaningless distraction from more pressing issues, such as the country’s economic and social challenges. “The real focus should be on correcting the inherent flaws in our federal system—starting with the creation of one additional state in the South-East to balance representation and a new constitution that is legitimate, people-driven, and responsive to the needs of the nation,” Ozekhome added.

He urged the National Assembly to abandon the proposal and redirect their attention to more critical national matters, warning that their current actions were undermining the intelligence of Nigerians.