Why Creation of 31 New States Is Dead on Arrival - Expert

• The proposal for the creation of 31 new states in the House of Representatives has been said to be dead on arrival
• Rotimi Sulyman, a political analyst in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, said state creation is not the way forward for the country
• The political commentator recalled that the proposal had been rejected by some socio-political groups, including the Afenifere, Arewa Consultative Forum

Rotimi Sulyman, a media entrepreneur, has expressed the impossibility in the realisation of creating another 31 new states in Nigeria. The public analyst shared the view in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng.

According to Rotimi, the proposal for the creation of the 31 states is dead on arrival, stating that the major socio-political groups in Nigeria, including the Afenifere and the Arewa Consultative Forum, have rejected it. He said it only gained support from the middle belt group.

Rotimi, who is also the chief press secretary to Ganiyu Egunjobi, the chairman of Agege Local Government Area in Lagos, told Legit.ng that the creation of a new state by the civilian government is a difficult task and that the military was able to do that because it was not subjected to legislative scrutiny.

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Why Nigeria did not need new states

He maintained that the creation of new states was not the way forward for Nigeria because many current states have to depend on federal allocation for survival. He posited that what Nigeria should focus on presently is the effective practice of a real federal system, where states can utilise their resources effectively.

His statement reads:

"I don’t think the idea serves any productive purpose. To what end would the creation of more 31 states be, when the existing 36 states are mostly not viable and live on handouts from the federal government?

"I think if anything, having more states is only consistent with the road the country has been trodden. The path where productivity and merit are low with a high supply of favouritism, and corruption. I think if we are serious, we should be talking of true federalism to the letter, which would entail every part of the country harnessing its resources for economic and national developments.

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"Thank goodness, the proposal has not gained the support of most ethnic groups. Afenifere and Arewa Consultative Forum took a dim view of it. To my knowledge, so far, it has only sat well with the middle-belt socio-political group. I think it is dead on arrival. In Nigeria’s history, no civilian government has created states because it is a tough task. The military junta were able to do it because they just decreed it."

Stakeholder reacts to state creation in Southwest

Legit.ng earlier reported that the House of Representatives has moved to divide Oyo state into Ibadan and Oyo, respectively, and both towns would also remain the capitals of the new state.

However, a concerned stakeholder and legal practitioner, Wale Adeagbo, said the proposal for the Oyo state would not bring the desired oneness.

The Ibadan-born lawyer, while speaking with Legit.ng, questioned why the Oyo would retain the state and the capital and foresaw another quest for Oke-Ogun state in the future of Oyo.

Source: Legit.ng