By FEMI OGUNSHOLA

A Bill to alter the 1999 Constitution as amended to create additional state in the South-East geo-political zone called Etiti,has passed through first reading in the House of Representatives .

Rep. Amobi Ogah (LP-Abia) and four others sponsored the bill which was read by the clerk of the House of Representatives, Dr Yahaya Dan’Zaria during plenary in Abuja on Tuesday.

The co-sponsors of the bill included Rep. Miriam Onuoha (APC-Imo), Rep. Kama Nkemkama, Rep. Chinwe Nnabuife and Rep. Anayo Onwuegbu.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the proposed state will include communities in the existing five states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.

NAN reports that when created, the new state will have 11 Local Government Areas, drawn from the five states with headquarters at Lokpanta.

The bill seeks to alter three sections of the 1999 constitution, to delete the word 36 and replace it with the word 37.

This is to accommodate the new state and to insert the word Etiti, immediately after Enugu in the list of states contained in the Constitution.

The bill also sought to alter the listing of local governmenst according to states and transfer the 11 local government areas from their current states to the new state.

The local governments to be affected are Isuikwuato and Umu-Nneochi (Abia), Orumba North and Orumba South (Anambra).

Others are Ivo and Ohaozara (Ebonyi), Aninri, Agwu and Oji River (Enugu) as well as Okigwe and Onuimo (Imo). (NAN)