…insists on 30-state structure

By Prisca Sam-Duru

President General of Okpe Union Prof Igho Natufe has advocated a better structure for Nigerian federalism, which will reflect the devolution of legislative and governmental powers in favour of the component units.

Prof Natufe, who also called for the establishment of state police to stem the security menace in most areas of the country, insisted on a 30-state structure.

Natufe, in a State of the Union address during an event marking the 95th anniversary of the Okpe Union at the Okpe Union House Obalende Lagos, disclosed that the Union was in close collaboration with other indigenous ethnic nationalities and national organizations, including the Movement for National Reformation (MNR) in crafting a new path for the restoration of federalism and good governance in Nigeria.

His words, “Okpe is one of the more than 400 indigenous ethnic nationalities that constitute the Federal Republic of Nigeria. These indigenous ethnic nationalities, including Okpe, are the core federating units of Nigeria. Thus, like other indigenous ethnic nationalities, Okpe has a voice in determining the future of Nigeria’’

He then called for the creation of homogeneous federating states for the 15 most populous ethnic nationalities that have contiguous boundaries, respectively, as well as the creation of a maximum of 15 heterogeneous (multi-ethnic) federating states for the other ethnic nationalities.

“These federating units will be 15 homogeneous ethnic-based states for the Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaw, Kanuri, Ibibio, Okpe, Tiv, etc.

“An ethnic nationality occupying a defined contiguous boundary in a heterogeneous state shall constitute an autonomous region with due constitutional jurisdiction. It shall also have concurrent jurisdiction with the heterogeneous state over natural resources discovered in its territory but shall exercise exclusive jurisdiction over primary and secondary education, culture, language, and traditional institutions, etc.”

The Union also seized the opportunity to urge the federal government not to politicize the outcomes of the proposed National Population census. ‘’Okpe Union calls for the proposed National Population Census to be conducted by employing best technology to avoid a repeat of the past where the outcomes were so politicized that many of the exercises did not command the confidence of many parts of the country and Nigerians as to their credibility,’ Natufe stated.