…Etiti, more encompassing, more reasonable – Mazi Ohuabunwa

…2014 confab report favours Etiti – Ihechukwu Madubuike

…We shouldn’t miss this opportunity – Sen Wabara

…Our lawmakers should consult more – Onyema Ugochukwu

…Lawmakers should agree – Ohanaeze

…Archbishop Opoko backs Etiti state

By Steve Oko

Member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon. Amobi Ogah who sponsored the Bill for the creation of Etiti State as the additional state to bring the South East geo-political zone at par with other zones, has given more insight on the proposal.

The Labour Party lawmaker who spoke exclusively with Vanguard in Umuahia, said that each of the existing five states in the zone would benefit from the proposed state unlike any other proposal that would be for the benefit of a particular state.

He also added that the proposal for Etiti state, already enjoys the support of the majority of the House of Representatives members from South East.

Rep Ogah further argued that since the creation of additional state for the South East “is all about equality”, it therefore, makes sense that every state in the zone benefits from it.

” However you look at it, Etiti State makes more sense because each state in the South East will donate at least two Local Government Areas to it. Isuikwuato and Umunneochi will come from Abia; Okigwe and Onuimo LGAs from Imo; Orumba North and Orumba South from Anambra; Ivo and Ohozara LGAs from Ebonyi; and Oji River, Awgu and Aninri from Enugu State. It cuts across all the existing five states so that no state is shortchanged”.

The lawmaker, appealed to Ndigbo home and abroad, to jettison their personal gains and unite for the actualisation of Etiti State, which he said, ” is in the interest of the entire South East”.

In a separate interview, elder statesman and second Republic Minister for Education, Professor Ihechukwu Madubuike, said there was need to revert to the recommendations of the 2014 Constitutional Conference of Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

Professor Madubuike who was among the delegation that presented Ohanaeze position before the  ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Constitutional conference of 2005, and  a delegate at Jonathan’s 2014 confab, said that both confabs had already agreed on a consensus parity state for South East.

Speaking in favour of Etiti State, the two time Minister, and former Finance Commissioner in the Old Imo State,  advised that regional interest and equity be put above other considerations.

” Definitely there is a crying need for an additional state for the South East. We have already dealt with that in both 2005 Obasanjo confab and Jonathan’s confab in 2014.

” For them to do anything meaningful, they should go to confab report. They should find out what has already been agreed.”

Opposing the proposed Orlu State, he said:” Orlu State wasn’t among the ones that we proposed. This one is a bastardisation of what we proposed. We said we should have Equity/Etiti State.

” So, what they need to do is to go back to both Obasanjo and Jonathan’s confabs and see what has been proposed, where we talked about a parity state or Equity State or Etiti State with capital around Okigwe -Lokpa axis that will include Awgu and Oji River from Enugu State; Aninri and Ivo from Ebonyi State; Umunneochi and Isuikwuato in Abia State; Okigwe and Mbano from Imo State; plus Umunze in Anambra State.”

Another elder statesman and former Chairman of Nigeria Economic Summit, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, also threw his weight behind the proposed Etiti State, saying “it is more encompassing and more reasonable”.

” As a geo-political zone, the more reasonable proposal is Etiti State. That’s more encompassing that any other one because it represents every state in the zone.”

He, however, noted that the proposed Anioma State makes sense but should be created as the seventh state for the South South.

” I also support the call for the creation of Anioma State because it’s long overdue. It should be created to either make the seventh state in the South South because South South is a major contributor to the economy of Nigeria. I also don’t mind if we want to include them as a state in the South East but that should be the seventh state. But it doesn’t substitute for Etiti State.”

Meanwhile, a former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, has advised that the South East should not miss the current opportunity to get a parity state to address decades of marginalisation.

He, however, made case for the creation of Aba State, arguing that Aba is one of the oldest Provinces in the country that has not metamorphosed into a state.

” For me it’s Aba because Aba remains one of the oldest Provinces that has not become a state.

” However, we should not in our agitation, lose this opportunity. We should come together as a people and come up with one proposal so that this opportunity doesn’t elude us.”

In his reaction, former Chairman of Nigeria Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, advocated wider consultations among the stakeholders.

He also advised the lawmakers to wait for the position of Ohanaeze Ndigbo on the proposed restructuring of Nigeria.

” Proposing three states for the South East is not the way to go. Ohanaeze is preparing its position on the restructuring of Nigeria. The document is not ready yet. I think our people should wait for Ohanaeze position to be known.

” The lawmakers should consult widely so they don’t give the impression that we are divided on this matter”.

Meanwhile, the Publicity Secretary of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, has advised Igbo National Assembly members, to reach a consensus on the matter

He said:” Ohanaeze advises that they should hold a meeting and decide and agree so that it doesn’t appear as if we’re not united.

” Ohanaeze expects them to hold a meeting among themselves to resolve this. Ohanaeze will soon come up with a common position”.

In his reaction, the Methodist Archbishop of Umuahia Ecclesiastical Diocese, Archbishop Raphael Opoko, said the proposed Etiti State, typified justice and equity as it cuts across all existing five states in South East.

The cleric, however, harped on the need for agreement and unity among the lawmakers of South East extraction at the National Assembly.

He also advocated due consultations with all the necessary stakeholders in the affected LGAs that constitute the proposed state so they could speak with one voice.

” This one appears to be more legitimate. If all the five states agree to contribute two LGAs each that makes it legitimate but there must be agreement with the stakeholders”.