Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Chairman of Adada State Creation Movement, has said that both Enugu and Ebonyi states were solidly in support of the creation of Adada State from the southern Igbo to be at par with the northern Igbo comprising Anambra, Abia and Imo states.
He said this in an interview with newsmen in Nsukka, the proposed capital of the proposed Adada State.
Ugwu, who was reacting to the current motion in the House of Representatives for the creation of additional state in the South-East geopolitical zone, said that the creation of Adada would balance the equation in the South-East.
He said: “Sometime in 1970, there was a request for the creation of Wawa State, which is Enugu today.
The application was submitted to General Yakubu Gowon. In that document, which I have, South-East was sharply divided into two, with equal population and landmass.
“We have the southern Igbos, known as Ndi Agbenu. The northern Igbos are known as Ndi Wawa, comprising Ebonyi and Enugu today.
“Southern Igbos presently have Abia, Anambra and Imo states. People should morally see reasons that if any state should be created, it should be Adada, which is from the northern Igbo.
“Apart from that, if you talk about qualifications, Adada is the most qualified.
“We met all the criteria from the beginning. We don’t have dissenting voices. It was 100 percent signatories of all councilors, local government chairmen, House of Assembly and National Assembly members for Adada. The governments of Ebonyi and Enugu are supporting Adada.”
He faulted the motion for the creation of Orlu State, saying that it lacked all the necessary constitutional provisions for state creation.
According to him, “As far as I am concerned, it is not a serious matter.
“The constitution specifies modalities on how states are created.
“I don’t believe that states are created simply by moving motions on the floor of the House. Section 8 (1) particularly outlines the methodologies.”
Ugwu outlined the modalities for the creation of states to include, signatures of the stakeholders, including elected local government chairmen, councilors, senators, and members of the House of Representatives from the area demanding such state creation.
He said they must all sign that they want the state, then send the request to the National Assembly.
“That is the time you could begin to think of moving motions but the Orlu case is just to stand up and say you are moving a motion for its creation.
“I’m not sure they did what I just outlined, otherwise two constituencies of that area would not have pulled out,” Ugwu said.
He reiterated the necessity in creating more states in the South-East to make up the six states as in other regions of the country.
“However, If they create one from southern Igbo, they do not want the progress of the region because it will be full of crisis.
“We will not be part of any regional administration in South East if that is done, and we have the constitutional right to determine where we shall belong.
“If they have four states, and we have two, normally one goes to the centre by representation. If we are required to send in two representatives, they will bring eight, and the northern Igbo will bring four. We would have become slaves.
“We would not be part of that kind of arrangement. But if they want to do the right thing, the best thing is to create Adada State so that southern Igbos will have three states and northern Igbos the same.
“Then when we talk about regional administration, we would all go there with equal representation.
“If you think that because you have contacts with the President or something like that, you can do anything, we will also take our decision on where we want to belong, and that means crisis instead of development that state creation is meant for,” he said.
