By CHIEDU UCHE OKOYE

State creation is the collective legacy of the military rulers, who ruled Nigeria between 1967 and 1998. Before the creation of states started in Nigeria, we had regions, viz northern region, western region, mid-western region, and eastern region. At that time, that is, during the volatile and febrile 1960s, regionalism was our holdover from the colonial era.

What gave rise to the rash and irrational creation of states in Nigeria was the overriding need to keep Nigeria as one indivisible and indissoluble political entity in the mid-1960s. The events of that period, which resulted in the bloody January 15, 1966 military coup and the July 1966 counter-coup compelled Col. Yakubu Gowon to split the regions into twelve states. It was done to weaken the eastern region people’s solidarity and maintenance of fidelity to a common cause.

Again, Yakubu Gowon’s creation of states was done to dislodge the Igbo people from their perch on power and domination of the eastern region’s leadership. But later, with the passage of time, some military rulers used state creation to compensate their civilian allies, who tried to have their illegitimate military governments the hues of legitimacy through their intellectual exertions.

Consequently, over the years, starting from 1967 to the 1990s, the number of states in Nigeria spiralled from twelve states to thirty-six states. Till now, political big guns are still clamouring for the creation of more states in Nigeria in order for them to have territories over which they will preside. Again, ethnic chauvinists and tribal lords whose peoples are separated from their kith and kin through arbitrary state creations, which were executed by the military rulers, are clamouring for the creation of more states in order for them to unite with their own people.

Now, the agitations for state creation have become strident as well as deafening, which makes us think that creating more states in Nigeria is the panacea for all our national ills. But what are the advantages of creating more states in Nigeria? One of the arguments in favour of state creation in Nigeria is that it will lead to even and rapid development of all parts of Nigeria.

However, if Nigeria is a true federal state where the functions of the three tiers of government do not overlap; and if the local governments are enjoying true autonomy, then, it will be needless and injudicious for our leaders to continue embarking on the exercise of state creation for the even and rapid development of all parts of Nigeria.

But that is not the case in Nigeria. Nigeria’s third tier of government is emasculated by the state governors through their states assemblies’ enactment of laws, arm-twisting, and political maneuvers. Sadly, the iconic and legendary Supreme Court judgement that granted autonomy to the local governments is made nonsense of and it is still observed in the breach by the state governors.

So the relentless calls for the creation of more states in Nigeria for the even and rapid development of all parts of Nigeria will not abate soon. Sadly, some of the states proposed for creation have neither large landmass nor humongous populations. They are not economically viable, too. If created, their governors would always go cap in hand to Abuja to beg for financial assistance.

But the idea or conception of creating more states in Nigeria is not wholly bad. State creation, we all know, has its merits or advantages if it should be based on the factors of economic viability, huge population, large landmass, cultural affinity of contiguous towns, and political equity.

The factor of political equity is the chief reason why creating one more state for the south east geopolitical zone has become a desideratum. Giving the southeast geopolitical zone an additional state will make the South East zone have the same number of states as other geopolitical zones in the country. It is a fair, just, and judicious thing to do for the sake of deepening our national unity, fairness, and cohesiveness.

And among all the states proposed for creation, the proposed Anioma state ticks all the boxes regarding requirements for state creation in Nigeria. In other words, it satisfies all the conditions or requirements, which will be contemplated when it comes to state creation. The following reasons I will adduce will suffice as to Anioma’s eligibility to be created as the sixth Igbo state.

For one, when created, Anioma state will be economically viable as it has many markets and industries from which it will generate revenue. And beneath its soil are abundant natural resources. In addition to its possession of natural resources, it has knowledgeable and skilled manpower that can drive its developmental initiatives. Is it not the homeland of Senator Ned Nwoko, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Prof. Pat. Utomi, Prof. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and others?

Another reason why it should be created is that it has huge population and large landmass. The proposed Anioma state will be composed of nine local government areas in the Delta North and towns in Anambra and Rivers states. The people from the areas, which will make up Anioma state, are united by their possession of common ancestry, cultural affinities, and shared historical ties.

It is an established fact that the people of Anioma are separated from their kith and kin by arbitrary state creations executed by military hegemons, who were insensitive to the ethnic, cultural, and linguistic sensibilities of the Anioma people. That the people of Anioma share kinship and cultural cum linguistic ties with Igbo people from the hinterland is beyond question. For example, oral history has it that during the Obosi kingdom’s heady days, the people of Umuru village in Obosi, Anambra State dispersed, with many of the dispersed people settling in Ibuzo, Delta State.

Creating new states in Nigeria is a constitutional matter, however. The approvals of the National Assembly and State Assemblies should be secured, added to the proposed states’ fulfillment of certain requirements needed for their creation. Therefore, creating new states during civilian dispensation seems to be a herculean and arduous task.

But the injustice of the past years hinged on the separation of a people from their kith and kin should be addressed, redressed and, urgently, reversed. Creating a sixth Igbo state (Anioma State) that straddles two areas separated by River Niger is a desideratum that will serve the cause of political equity, fairness, and justice. And it will deepen our national unity and reassure the Igbo people that they are not the unwanted people in Nigeria.

That is the course that leads to national unity, which is central to our rapid national development.

•Chiedu Uche Okoye, a poet, writes from Uruowulu-Obosi, Anambra State. He can be reached via 08062220654 and 09125204141