The Aba State Movement has told the House of Representatives’ Special Committee on Constitutional Review that the request for the creation of Aba State was a quest for equity based on history stretching more than 40 years.
Mr. Theo Nkire, who presented the case for the proposed Aba State, in Owerri, Imo State recalled that the House of Representatives passed a motion for a referendum on the creation of Aba, Abia, Ebonyi, and Enugu states from the then Anambra and Imo States in January 1982. In June 1983, the Senate passed the same motion on the creation of Aba, Abia, Ebonyi, and Enugu States from the then Anambra and Imo States.
He argued that on the same day the National Assembly confirmed the four states and others for referendum.
“Of the four States the National Assembly confirmed for referendum by 1983, Aba State is the only one that has not been created from the South-east,” he said, waving copies of the 39-year-old Hansard that reported the National Assembly’s decision.
Nkire, who is the first Attorney-General of Abia State, said that most recently Aba State’s case was made by a Committee that Chief John Nnia Nwodo, immediate past President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, inaugurated on 11 September 2018, in his capacity as President-General of Ohanaeze.
Nkire said the committee’s mandate was to evaluate requests for more States in the South-east.
According to Nkire, the conclusion of the Committee’s report to Governor Dave Umahi, Chairman, South East Governors’ Forum stated, “The Committee considered the merit for the creation of Aba and Adada states, respectively, resolved and recommended for the creation of Aba State with 12 members supporting and five abstaining. The Committee also recommended that any other state creation exercise in the South-east should give Adada State priority. The report was dated October 10, 2018.
Aba State Movement, he said, stood by the report of the Ohanaeze Committee on State Creation.
