A former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, representing Enugu East senatorial district in the National Assembly, has made a strong case for additional state in the Southeast. He argued that the zone deserves an extra state to be at par with other regions in the country, in governance and distribution of national resources.
Ekweremadu on ‘Open Square’ programme on Channels Television on Saturday, complained of the fewer number of lawmakers from the southeast in the National Assembly unlike in other geopolitical zones in the country.
Ekweremadu argued: “The number is lopsided because of the way the states were created.
“Right now, Southeast has just five states when others have seven and six. With the Senate of three senators per state, we have just 15, some have 18 and some have 21.
“When it comes to voting, even in terms of resources distribution, we are short-changed. If you go to the House of Representatives, it is a similar thing. I believe that the fair thing to do is for the country to agree for us to have an extra state for the Southeast, so that it will enable us to match with the rest of the country in terms of opportunity at the National Assembly.”
On the current federal structure in Nigeria, the Southeast has 5 stated, Northwest seven states, the North East 6, North Central 6 states, South West 6, and South-South 6.