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| Map of the Proposed Okura State |
AN
APPEAL FOR THE INCLUSION OF THE PROPOSED OKURA STATE (TO BE CREATED OUT OF THE
PRESENT KOGI STATE) AS ONE OF THE THREE STATES RECOMMENDED FOR CREATION BY THE
NATIONAL CONFERENCE IN THE NORTH CENTRAL GEO-POLITICAL ZONE.
We hereby congratulate Your
Excellency for the successful completion of the historic National Conference,
which you convened, as a significant land mark in your effort to strengthen
national unity and consolidate democratic governance in our beloved country.
The peaceful completion of this noble assignment by the members of the National
Conference is a testimony of Your Excellency’s imagination, resourcefulness and
determination to positively place Nigeria as one of the most economically,
politically and socially vibrant and powerful nations of the world.
There is no doubt, that the
cynicisms, which greeted the initial efforts toward the convocation of the
National Conference have given way to enthusiastic disposition of Nigerians, as
reflected in their call to subject the
conclusions of the National Conference to outright referendum. This is a
wonderful and unprecedented breakthrough in successive governments’ attempts to
create conducive environment for an egalitarian society, full of unbridled and
equal opportunities.
Your Excellency emphasized
in your inauguration address to the members of the National Conference on 17th
March, 2014 thus, “The National
Conference is therefore being convened to engage in intense introspection about
the political and socio-economic challenges confronting our nation and to chart
the best and most acceptable way for the
resolution
of such challenges in the collective interest of all constituent parts of our
fatherland’”. To this statement, the members of the National
Conference actually made history, for their courage and patriotic disposition
to recommend the creation of 18 additional states to bring the number of states
in the country from 36 to 54. The National Conference by that deliberate action
has identified one of the major issues needed to assure most Nigerians that
they have stakes in the governance of our dear country. It is noteworthy to
mention, that other critical areas of our national life received the attention
of the National Conference, which has justified the efforts of your administration
to convene the Conference at this time in the nation’s history.
Your Excellency, in spite
of the foregoing euphoria about the conclusions of the National Conference on
its recommendation for the creation of additional 18 states, the Igala and
Bassa people of Kogi State, who requested for the creation of Okura State out of the present Kogi State
are traumatized and feel upset, as the Conference
failed to recommend the creation of their age-long request for the creation of
Okura State. It is not clear to us why the National Conference threw out
our request, which to us, is more qualified than most state requests
recommended by the National Conference in terms of viability, history and the
effect of the provisions of Section (8) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, as amended.
We do not want to bug Your
Excellency down on the long and tortuous journey of the Igala and Bassa people
in their resolve to have Okura State created before and during the just
concluded National Conference, as we attach relevant documents for your perusal
but would like to give highlights on the recent events at the National
Conference as follows:-
1. The National Conference Committee on
Political Restructuring and Forms of Government documented the receipts of the requests
for state creation from the North Central geo-political zone as follows:-
(i)
Apa State from Benue State;
(ii)
Okura and Okun States from Kogi State;
(iii)
South Plateau State from Plateau State;
(iv)
Edu State from Niger/Kwara States; and
(v)
Confluence State from across Edo, Kogi and Nasarawa States.
The
receipt of the proposed Kainji State was noted under North West geo-political
zone and not North Central geo-political zone.
Apa
and Edu States from Benue and Niger States respectively were recommended. Okura
State from Kogi State in the same North Central geo-political zone was not
recommended. Instead, Kainji State, which was placed under the North West geo-political
zone was recommended. This is against the resolution of the National Conference
recommendation, that each zone should have 9 States.
To meet with that
recommendation, the same National Conference recommended the creation of 2
additional states in the North West geo-political zone, which is currently having
7 states. The recommended states are Gurara from Kaduna State and Ghari from
Kano State. The National Conference did not alter the boundary of any
geo-political zone in its recommendation. The replacement of Okura State in the
North Central geo-political zone with Kainji State is therefore, a
predetermined action by some members to mislead the Conference for their ulterior
motives, which have compromised the National Conference decision on its recommendation
for the creation of 18 additional States.
2. The North Central geo-political zone comprises
Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nassarawa, Niger and Plateau States. Kebbi State is not
part of North Central geo-political zone and all recommendations of the
National Conference on state creation did not cut across any geo-political zone
because the National Conference did not re-draw the boundary of any
geo-political zone. We therefore, wonder why the short change in the North
Central geo-political zone in favour of Kebbi State, which is in the North West
geo-political zone, purported to be in the North Central geo-political zone by
deception. Indeed, what this means, is that North Central geo-political zone
will have 8 states while the North West geo-political zone will have 10 states.
3. To appreciate our stand on this matter, we
wish to show the configuration each of the major demands for state creation in
the three states - Benue, Kogi and Niger States. The request for the creation
of Apa State covers 9 Local Government Areas out of 23 Local Government Areas
in Benue State. Benue State has a population of 4, 219, 244 (2006 Census
Figure) and registered voters of 2, 151, 668 (2011). The Local Governments in
the proposed Apa State are Ado, Agatu, Apa, Obi, Ogbadibo, Ohimini, Oju,
Okpokwu, Oturkpo. The Local Government Areas constitute the Benue South
Senatorial District with a population of 1, 298, 763 (2006) and registered
voters of 612, 248 (2011).
The request for the creation of Okura
State covers 9 Local Government Areas out of 21 Local Government Areas in Kogi
State and Ette (formerly in Enugu State). Kogi State has a population of 3,
278, 187 (2006) and registered voters of 1, 479, 890 (2011). The Local
Government Areas that make up Okura State are Ankpa, Bassa, Dekina, Ibaji,
Idah, Igalamela/Odolu, Ofu, Olamaboro and Omala as well as Ette. The Areas
constitute the Kogi East Senatorial District with a population of 1, 604, 345
(2006, Ette inclusive) and registered voters of 816, 967 (2011, Ette inclusive).
It is not clear, which areas constitute
the proposed Edu and Kainji States in the present Niger State. We are however,
aware that the previous request for the creation of Edu State, include Local
Government Areas in Niger South Senatorial District namely, Agaie, Bida, Katchia,
Lapai, Lavun, Edati, Mokwa, and Gbarko as well as Agwara and Borgu Local Government Areas of the Niger North
Senatorial District with a combined population of 1, 455, 429 (2006) and
registered voters of 628, 918 (2011). The request for the creation of Kainji
State from the same Niger State covers 9 Local Government Areas namely, Kontagora,
Mariga, Rijau, Wushishi, Mashegu, Magama, Rafi as well as the same Agwara and Borgu Local Government Areas with a combined population of 1, 417, 192
(2006) and registered voters of 505, 068 (2011).
With the above statistics, what justifies the
recommendation of two states in Niger State, if the proposed Kainji State falls
within the North Central geo-political zone or one and a half states, if Niger
and Kebbi States are to produce the purported Kainji State?
Indeed, the contraptions in Niger and
Kebbi States, which purportedly gave rise to the recommendation of Kainji State
is a deliberate decision to scuttle the creation of Okura State from Kogi
State. From every indication, the
proposed Okura State stands out as one of the most viable requests for state
creation across the country.
4. We have all along brought this glaring
injustice to the attention of the National Conference through members of the
Conference, who are indigenes of Kogi State and publications in the media
organizations but the anticipated correction was not effected, hence this passionate appeal.
Igala was the 9th
largest ethnic group in Nigeria and the richest Native Authority, second only to
Kano Native Authority, during the era of Northern Regional Administration. We
therefore, feel strongly shortchanged by being denied a State of our own in Nigeria
of 54 State structure. Mr. President may wish to know that many old Native Authority
Areas, which are now States or recommended to be States, were not capable of
competing with the Igala Native Authority in any sphere of development, during
the past Northern Regional Administration but have now or will become giants in
the structure of Nigerian Federation. This,
to us is a conspiracy to make Igala land the most backward area in the country;
and the Igala people the most marginalized, maligned and traumatized.
PRAYERS
Your Excellency, it is our earnest
prayer that you treat our humble appeal with compassion and due consideration
to cause the inclusion of the proposed Okura State as one of the recommended
States from the North Central geo-political zone and its subsequent creation as
one of the federating states in Nigeria.
We make bold to state that,
with Your Excellency’s stance in abhorrence and disdain for the suppression of
truth, marginalization and injustice in all forms, the Igala people are keeping
hope alive as our traducers will
soon be crippled by your strong desire to spread the dividends of your administration’s
policies to positively affect the well-being of all Nigerians, irrespective of
tribe, creed, and status. Our future largely lies in the creation of the
proposed Okura State. Your Excellency
should therefore, make the way for us to realize this objective, which to all
intents and purposes is to re-invent our lost glory. MAY GOD BLESS NIGERIA
UNDER YOUR EXCELLENCY’S LEADERSHIP.
ATTACHMENTS
1. List of proposals for
state creation by the National Conference Committee on Political Restructuring
and forms of Government.
2. Protest letter against
failure of the National Conference to recommend the creation of Okura State by
Okura State Movement to the Chairman, National Conference dated 7th
July, 2014.
3. Paid advert by Ukomu
Igala Organization titled; “Failure to recommend the creation of Okura State: Deliberate
attempt to marginalize the Igala people” published by The Nation Newspaper
issue of 4th August, 2014.
4. Recommendation of the
National Conference on the 18 additional states to be created.
5. Letter on the resolution
of members of the National Conference from Kogi State on the creation of the
proposed Okura State out of Kogi State to the Chairman of the Middle Belt
Forum, Professor Jerry Gana dated 14th July, 2014.
6. Proposed Amendment to
Recommendation on State creation pp 279-281 Main Report vol. 1 p. 145 of Draft
Constitution: and p. 38 of Proposed Bill by the representatives of Kogi State
delegates to the National Conference as requested by the National Conference
leadership.
We remain,
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Moses E. Adah Dr.
Yakubu Ugwolawo
Chairman General
Secretary
Okura
State Movement Okura
State Movement
Alhaji Ahmed O. Adams
State
Co-ordinator
Ukomu
Igala Organization
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