State Creation: Sen. Kanu Agabi Presents Case for Ogoja State,Calls for Uniform Application of Criteria

By Ada Nkong

The need to apply fairness in the creation of new states by the national assembly has been emphasized.

Former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the federation Sen Kanu Agabi made the appeal during his presentation on behalf of Ogoja state at the public hearing organized by the house committee on state creation in Calabar.

In his presentation, Sen. Agabi drew attention to the hardship faced by the minority in a large state.

“The condition of the minorities has worsened. Their condition never improved. We continue to suffer. We continue to suffer every calamity that can befall a people. There is not a single distress or disaster that we are exempted from*.

He further expressed sadness that this condition has persisted for as long as this due to distance from the seat of government.

“I am seventy-nine years old and I feel sorry that in all that time the condition of my people did not improve. It went from bad to worse. We have no good roads. We do not have electricity. In all our villages, our young are compelled to go to bed as soon as the sun sets because they have no lamps. It was Seneca who said that man should extend his life by using part of the night. Here we cannot do so. We go to bed in the dark and we wake up early to go to our farms – an occupation that has been stigmatized and degraded and discouraged by every policy of government”.

The Elder Statesman stressed the fact that the cry for the creation of Ogoja state is not a reflection of any ill feelings between the Ogoja people and the parent state.

According to him, “this agitation is not rooted in malice. It is made in good faith. Our ancestors, when they promulgated the Constitution, realized beforehand that a time like this will come. They appreciated that conditions in our country will compel communities to make demands of the type that we now make. And so, they made provisions in the Constitution which you, Honourable representatives of the people have come to implement and give effect to. This request is made in exercise of a right vested in the people by the Constitution”.

“We trust that you will establish a criteria of general and uniform application for the creation of states. You will prescribe a criteria of general and uniform application for the creation of local government areas. You will prescribe a criteria and set standards for the location of states capitals”.

The conveners for the Movement for the Creation of Ogoja State, Papa Dom Ckleimz Enamhe, Johnny Agom (SAN), the coordinator of the effort Justice Maurice Eneji and Compol Alobi Rtd expressed gratitude to the people from the 9 local government areas who made the necessary sacrifices to see the struggle this far and expressed optimism that Ogoja state would see the light of day.

Other key players include Hon Godwin Offionor who proposed the bill, Senator Jarigbe Agom  and other members of the national assembly from Cross River State, Hon. Cletus Obun , the Efik nation who have supported the struggle and delegates from Igede in Benue state who have demonstrated a strong interest in the creation of the state.