The House of Representatives has taken a significant step towards the creation of a new state in the South East region. A bill seeking the establishment of Etiti State has passed its first reading at the plenary session on Tuesday.
The bill, titled “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2024 (HB. 1525)”, was sponsored by Rep Amobi Godwin Ogah and four other lawmakers. The co-sponsors include Rep Princess Miriam Odinaka Onuoha, Rep Kama Nnemkama, Rep Princess Chinwe Nnabuife, and Rep Anayo Onwuegbu.
The proposed Etiti State will be carved out from parts of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states, and will have 11 local government areas with its headquarters in Lokpanta. The bill seeks to alter the 1999 Constitution to accommodate the new state and rename the list of states to include Etiti.
This development comes as a response to the long-standing demand for a more equitable representation in the South East region. The region currently has the least number of states among the six geopolitical zones in the country, with only five states – Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo. The creation of Etiti State will bring the number of states in the region to six, aligning it with other zones.
The bill’s passage is a significant milestone in the process of creating a new state in the South East. If successful, Etiti State will become the 37th state in Nigeria. The move is expected to have significant political, economic, and social implications for the region and the country at large.
The creation of Etiti State is seen as a way to address the issues of marginalization and underrepresentation in the South East region. The new state will provide a more focused governance structure, improved economic opportunities, and enhanced political representation for the people of the region.
The bill will undergo further readings and debates in the House of Representatives before being sent to the Senate for concurrence. If passed, it will be transmitted to the President for assent, paving the way for the creation of Etiti State.
