By Ebere Agozie
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Mohammed Ndarani says creation of Edu State will serve the interests of long-marginalised Nupe people.
Ndarani said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said the creation of the state would serve as a building block for development in a federal system.
Ndarani said that Niger remained the only state from which a new state has not been created, adding that Edu state would comprise various groups from the present Niger, Kogi, and Kwara states.
He said the agitation for the creation of additional states in Nigeria had been a long-standing with proponents arguing that it would promote effective governance and development in the country.
“It will spread development across the people and help bring the much touted dividends of democracy to the door steps of the average citizen.
“It will also create more new jobs and ensure more rapid and even development of rural and urban areas, while enhancing the citizens’ living standards.
“Looking at the history of the creation of states, it has been an exercise that has brought about development; it has also brought government closer to the people’’, he said.
The senior lawyer supported the memo submitted to the Senate Committee on Constitution Review by stakeholders from Niger state which he claimed had enormous natural resources.
“The enormous natural resources and land mass in Niger State were the reasons behind the desire for the creation of Edu State.
“Niger State’s geographical mass is unquestionably more than that of the entire Southeast and equal to that of the Southwest.
“It is vast and has a variety of solid minerals. The proposed Edu state is a prospective oil-producing state. It would be a viable and developed state with a capital in Bida’’, he said.
He said the creation of Edu state would expand the scope and platform for more citizens of the state to express themselves and utilise their potential.
NAN recalls that state creation began in Nigeria on May 27, 1967, when the administration of Gen. Yakubu Gowon abolished the regional structure of the country and created 12 states.
His successor, Gen. Murtala Mohammed, created an additional seven states in 1976, which brought the total number to 19.
Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, created 11 more states which brought the number to 30 until 1996, when the late Gen. Sani Abacha, added six states, making it the 36 states.
NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA