A former senator from Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has criticised the plan to add 31 new states to the 36 that now exist in the nation.
According to reports, the Constitution Review Committee of the House of Representatives suggested that the nation be divided into 31 new states.
The Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who chaired the plenary session on Thursday in place of Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, read a letter to the House of Representatives that included the request.
In a post on his X page on Friday, Sani responded to the development by calling the plan humorous and ironic, claiming that politicians are only interested in creating small colonies for themselves.
He wrote, “While many states are dependent on federal allocation for their survival, the House of Representatives proposal for 31 states is ironic and comical. Politicians just want to carve out mini colonies for themselves.”
The committee, chaired by Kalu, proposed an additional six new states in the North Central, four in the North-East, five in the North-West, five in the South-South, and seven in the South-West.
The former lawmaker said that since many states rely on federal funding to survive, the nation doesn’t need any more states.
“The House of Representatives’ proposal for 31 states is ironic and comical, even though many states rely on federal allocation for their survival,” he said. All politicians desire is to establish little colonies for themselves.
Under Kalu’s leadership, the committee suggested six more states in the North Central, four in the North-East, five in the North-West, five in the South-South, and seven in the South-West.
The states being considered include Okun, Okura, and Confluence from Kogi; Benue Ala and Apa from Benue; FCT State; Amana from Adamawa; Katagum from Bauchi; Savannah from Borno; Muri from Taraba; New Kaduna and Gujarat from Kaduna State; Tiga and Ari from Kano; Kainji from Kebbi; Etiti and Orashi as the sixth states in the South-East; Adada from Enugu; and Orlu and Aba.
Others are Ogoja from Cross River, Warri from Delta, Ori and Obolo from Rivers, Torumbe from Ondo, Ibadan from Oyo, Lagoon from Lagos, and Ogun, Ijebu from Ogun, and Oke Ogun/Ijesha from Oyo/Ogun/Osun States.
