A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr Olisa Agbakoba, has faulted the the agitation for the creation of additional states in the South-East, insisting it would not solve the problem of the region.
Rather than create more states, Agbakoba, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, said the National Assembly should amend the constitution or put together a completely new one that would return Nigeria to regional governments.
The lawyer expressed the view in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Lagos.
NAN reports that the House of Representatives recently passed for second reading a bill seeking the creation of Etiti State out of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states from the South-East geopolitical zone.
The bill was jointly sponsored by Godwin Ogah, Miriam Onuoha, Kama Nkemkama, Princess Nnabuife and Anayo Onwuegbu.
Leading the debate on the general principles of the bill, Ogah, representing Abia State, said the establishment of Etiti State was not just a matter of administrative convenience, but a step towards ensuring balanced regional development and effective governance.
The lawmaker said the bill was a response to the aspirations of the people of a very important region to the country and aligned with the principles of equity and inclusivity enshrined in the country’s democratic idea.