Living In A State For 10 Years Should Make Any Nigerian Earn ‘Citizenship’…Why We Want 2 Additional States In Southeast-Gov Hope Uzodinma

Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State has explained reasons why the people of Southeast geo-political zone have called for the creation of two additional states in the region noting that it is the only geo-political zone in the country that has five states.

He noted that it is expected that the ongoing 1999 Constitution review by the National Assembly will help to correct this imbalance.

Team@orientactualmags.com learned that the governor said this in his remarks during the South East Zonal public hearing for Imo and Abia states on the Constitution Review in Owerri, on Saturday.

‘Every other zone has six or more. This imbalance has led to underrepresentation in critical national institutions, from the National Assembly to the Federal Executive Council. It has shrunk our voice and abridged our inclusivity. Therefore, it’s only fair and just that we ask for the creation of at least two additional states in the South East.

It is my well-considered submission that Anim State should be one of the new states to be created. This is one state that will have an oil-producing status upon creation.

This makes it commercially viable, with sufficient revenue base to self-sustain.

This should naturally go hand-in-hand with the creation of new local government areas for the zone’ he said.

The governor also expressed hope that the two additional states will become a reality.

‘Until a few years ago, Owerri served as the capital of us all. Today, we have Umuahia and Abakaliki as capitals of new states.

Through our collective efforts, perhaps, we shall soon have more state capitals like Orlu, Aba, Nsukka, and more.

I believe that this is the prayer of the entire South-East, and it shall come to pass by the grace of God’ he added.

Governor Hope Uzodimma however lamented that although the nation’s constitution guarantees every citizen the right to live and work in any part of the country, those who were born and raised in places where their grandparents may not have originated from are however still considered as non-indigenes.

He submitted that any Nigerian, who has lived in a state for 10 years, ought to be considered as a citizen of such a state.

‘We should not be seen to be speaking from two sides of our mouth. We need to legally define indigeneship by birth or long-term residence – say 10 years.

Anyone born in a state or has lived in a state for upwards of 10 years should be a legitimate indigene of that state. This is common practice in advanced democracies.

 It was also becoming the norm in our pre-first Republic years, until that Republic was cut short. How else did Mallam Umaru Altine become the Mayor of Enugu in 1952 if not because he was accepted as an indigene of Enugu?

That tells us something profound about our potential for unity if only the constitution can catch up with our history.

I therefore urge this committee to seriously consider this matter as part of the proposed constitutional amendments’ the governor submitted.

Governor Uzodinma also proposed that the nation’s presidency should be done in rotation with each of the geo-political zones having its turn.

‘This is not about tokenism but national stability. Already, zoning has helped calm nerves over federal appointments. If Nigerians know that the presidency will rotate among the six zones, it will remove the fear of domination and deepen the sense of inclusion in the country.

In addition, the time has come for us to take decisive steps on state police. The current centralised policing structure is overstretched and often disconnected from local realities.

As the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, I can confirm that we support the decentralisation of the police for greater responsiveness and effectiveness.

The fear that governors will misuse such a force is unfounded and frankly outdated.

We cannot allow the past to paralyse the future when our citizens are crying out for safety and order at the grassroots.

 Our diversity is our strength, not our weakness. But that strength must be harnessed through law and equity. Therefore, our Constitution must reflect our shared values, not just our shared borders.

Distinguished Honourable members, as you tour the country on this important assignment, may you be guided by the hope of millions who seek a Constitution that truly belongs to them: one that ensures fairness, equity, and a level playing field for all.

As we all know, there are differing views across Nigeria about what our Constitution should reflect in order to fortify our young democracy. These perspectives mirror both the richness of our diversity and the inadequacies of a legal framework that often leaves many citizens feeling unprotected or unaccommodated in the project Nigeria’ he submitted-Team@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079,  08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you