Second Republic Minister for Education, Professor Ihechukwu Madubuike, has spoken in favour of the creation of Etiti State, saying there was a 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 Goodluck Jonathan’s 2014 confab, said that both confabs had already agreed on a consensus parity state for South East.
The two-time Minister, and former Finance Commissioner in the Old Imo State, who spoke with the Vanguard, advised that regional interest and equity be put above other considerations.
“There is a crying need for an additional state for the South East. We have already dealt with that in the 2005 Obasanjo confab and Jonathan’s confab in 2014.
“To do anything meaningful, they should go to the confab reports. They should find out what has already been agreed,” he said.
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, they need 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.
“This will include Awgu, Oji River and Aninri from Enugu State; Ohaozara and Ivo from Ebonyi State; Umunneochi and Isuikwuato from Abia State; Okigwe and Mbano from Imo State; plus Orumba North and South from Anambra State.”
Recall that Hon. Amobi Ogah, the member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency on Tuesday sponsored a bill that sought the alteration of the 1999 Constitution as amended to create Etiti State in the Southeast region of the country.
Daily Newslead reported that the bill which passed through Tuesday’s first reading in the House of Representatives was jointly sponsored by Hon. Ogah and four other lawmakers representing the affected communities in the proposed State.
The other members include Hon. Princess Miriam Odinaka Onuoha, representing Okigwe/ Onuimo Federal Constituency; Hon. Kama Nkemkama, representing Ivo/Ohazara Federal Constituency; Hon. Princess Chinwe Nnabuife, representing Orumba South/North Federal Constituency; and Hon. Anayo Onwuegbu, representing Oji River/Awgu/Aninri Federal Constituency.
Source: Vanguard
