A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr Olisa Agbakoba, has faulted the the agitation for the creation of additional states in the South-East, insisting it would not solve the problem of the region.

Rather than create more states, Agbakoba,  a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, said the National Assembly should amend the constitution or put together a completely new one that would return Nigeria to regional governments.

The lawyer expressed the view in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Lagos.

NAN reports that the House of Representatives recently passed for second reading a bill seeking the creation of Etiti State out of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states from the South-East geopolitical zone.

The bill  was jointly sponsored by Godwin Ogah, Miriam Onuoha, Kama Nkemkama, Princess Nnabuife and Anayo Onwuegbu.

Leading the debate on the general principles of the bill, Ogah, representing Abia State, said the establishment of Etiti State was not just a matter of administrative convenience, but a step towards ensuring balanced regional development and effective governance.

The lawmaker said the bill was a response to the aspirations of the people of a very important region to the country and aligned with the principles of equity and inclusivity enshrined in the country’s democratic idea.

Similarly, some lawmakers and stakeholders have also called for the creation of Anioma State from states in the South-South and South-East regions.

One of those leading the call, Senator Ned Nwoko( PDP-Delta North), said the creation of Anioma State would correct what he described as the marginalisation of the South-East geo-political zone.

However, speaking with NAN on Sunday, Agbakoba said  though  an average person from the South-East would support an additional state in the region, anyone who could see the big picture could tell that the creation of additional states would not guarantee development.

He said, “This agitation will arise because it is on the basis of the number of states that federal allocation flows.

“So the fact that the South-East has five states means to them that they are losing revenue and that is a one point of view and also an emotional point of their agitation.

“However, a pragmatic developmental point of view, which I go for, is that even if you create a sixth state in the South-East to give them a sense of belonging, will this new state in addition to the 36 states take us towards the path of development?

“Will it reverse the hunger, insecurity, poverty and unemployment in the land? Absolutely not.

“We need to do away from state creation to regional system of government.”

Agbakoba explained that he was not in support of additional states because most of the 36 states are economically unviable, insolvent and not capable of bringing about infrastructural development and even paying the proposed minimum wage.

“State creation at this present harsh economic will, no doubt, lead to an increase in the number of National Assembly members, ministers, local governments, and others, which would further increase the cost of governance in the country.

“This is coming at a time when most Nigerians are starving due to rise in the food prices. Insurgents, bandits and terrorists are abducting people for ransom in other states of the country.

“Therefore, the National Assembly should, instead return the country to the regionalism by collapsing the 36 states into six to eight regions or geopolitical zones, each of which will have a leader.

“This means that the present Nigeria 1999 Constitution would be amended or a new one written to accommodate this proposal.

“This is because making a new constitution for Nigeria has become an overriding imperative based on the fact that new political realities and conundrums have cropped up in the country,” Agbakoba said.

Agbakoba, a human rights activist, said regional governments were once successfully run with Chief Obafemi Awolowo in charge of the South-West, Chief Michael Okpara in charge of the South-East and Ahmadu Bello in the North.

Agbakoba said since Nigeria left the modernity of regionalism, the states had been unviable, apart from Lagos and Rivers.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Abdulahi Ganduje, has said the party has initiated moves to de-marginalise Igbos to place them in the limelight of national politics.

Ganduje asserted on Sunday during the APC South East zonal meeting in Abakaliki, noting that Igbos had shown massive support to the party and the President Bola Tinubu-led administration presently.

The APC national chairman said that though a line must be drawn between marginalisation and low performance of the southeast in the APC, the party had decided to break the vicious cycle of marginalisation.

“The present appointments offered the zone by President Bola Tinubu’s administration is heartwarming and with more involvement in the party’s affairs, more would be achieved.

“We must break this cycle of marginalisation with determination, unity and total support to the party and President Bola Tinubu-led administration, he said.

He noted that Ebonyi had followed Imo’s trail in massively promoting the party’s activities and thanked Gov. Francis Nwifuru for sustaining the party’s ideals in the state.

“The challenge before us presently is how to claim Anambra, Enugu and Abia and must get all stakeholders together to achieve this goal.

Gov. Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi thanked the party’s leaders for honouring the meeting in the state noting that the party is presently rooted in the state and southeast.

Nwifuru noted that Ebonyi had a policy of inclusiveness which had made all stakeholders in the state to be presently under the APC roof.

“The massive defection of opposition stakeholders to APC on July 13 attests to the fact that persuasion works more than bickering and fighting,” he said.

Gov. Hope Uzodimma of Imo in his remark, said it is an ugly coincidence that the APC is ruling Nigeria in these hard times occasioned by the world economic meltdown.

The Chairman of the South East Governors Forum said that many citizens of the country experience excruciating hardship with some going into penury.

“People have to know that there is global economic meltdown with some currencies exchanging 15,000 and 20,000 to one dollar.

“I however, have hope that if the tested policies of President Bola Tinubu administration, are well implemented, Nigerians would receive the much needed succour., he said.

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu in his remarks, urged people of the south east zone to identify with the federal government’s efforts to de-marginalise the zone.

“President Bola Tinubu has given Ndigbo more than the vote cast for him during the elections.

“It is presently left for us to repay him for his good works because when ones shows appreciation, he gets more,” he said.

He noted that the president offered Igbos lucrative positions in his government as high- ranking ministers, deputy speaker of the house of representatives among others.

“The process for the south east development commission bill which would solve the numerous challenges confronting Igbos, has been finalised and awaiting the president’s accent , he said.