Wike presses for additional state in South-East

A strong voice on Thursday rang out in support of calls for the creation of one more state in Nigeria’s South-East. Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike told the constitution review committee that visited his state that leaving the South-East with only five states when all other geo-political zones or old provinces have minimum of six states was the height of injustice.

The governor of Rivers, a South-South state, also accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of plotting to use ongoing constitutional amendment to vest power on Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), instead of the president of the Court of Appeal, to set up panels to hear appeal from election tribunals.

The outspoken governor has thus urged members of the National Assembly to shun partisan politics and primordial sentiments and work for the interest of Nigerians.

Gov Wike took the positions when the senate sub-committee on constitutional amendment for the South-South zone, led by George Sekibo, paid him a courtesy call at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Thursday.

The governor asserted that he has uncovered plot by the APC to hide under the guise of constitutional amendment to deprive the president of the Court of Appeal the power to constitute a panel to hear appeal cases from election petition tribunals.

He further frowned at the attempt by the ruling party to also use the Electoral Act amendment process to stop State High Courts from hearing pre-election matters. According to him, the APC is scheming to vest power to exclusively hear such matters on Federal High Courts.

Gov Wike emphasized that it is important at this crucial period of the nation’s history that the National Assembly should use the opportunity of amendment to correct a lot of anomalies in the 1999 Constitution.

He observed that though no constitution can be described as perfect, concerted effort must be made by federal lawmakers to deliver a better constitution for Nigeria.

Governor Wike urged the members of the National Assembly from the South-South geopolitical zone to canvass for an upward review of the 13 percent derivation to 50 percent.

He further tasked them to press for the devolution of power, creation of state police and strengthening of the federal character. According to him, the prevailing situation where only persons from certain section of the country are appointed to sensitive positions is unacceptable.

“I think this is an opportunity for members of the National Assembly to say they are working for the interest of Nigeria and not for the party they belong. Because at the end of the day, if anything happens to the country, you will all be affected,” he said.

On the plight of the South-East, Wike said, “There is no way the South East should continue to have only five states. It is very unfair. Since other regions have six states, South-East should be made to have six states.”

Sekibo, chairman of the committee covering Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and Cross River States, said the National Assembly has virtually completed the first processes of the review of the 1999 constitution.

“The House of Representatives and the Senate alone cannot amend the constitution of this great country, so we have come to reach out to our people to collate their views and inputs,” Sekibo said.

“The constitution actually is supposed to be a law that is made by the people, and so, we are here to collate views from major stakeholders in these three states and when we get back to Abuja, we will see how we can harmonize their views and those of other stakeholders already sent to us,” he said.