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The Adàda state Movement stole the show in Enugu on Thursday at the senate public hearing for state agitators from the South East.

The President General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and former Minister of Information, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, who presented the Adàda state case before the distinguished senators, marshalled the points why Adàda state demands stood out.

Nwodo’s Presentation, backed by history and data, completely captivated and fascinated the senators and distinguished crowd of guests that included traditional rulers, prominent citizens of the Adàda state Movement.

A statement from the media director of the Adàda state Movement Mr Ike Abonyi said the movement traced the history of the agitation to the General Yakubu Gowon era in 1970

Nwodo told the senators that the proposed Adada state out of the present Enugu state is the most competent proposing state in the south east that has met the constitutional provision for creation by the act of parliament and for subsequent presentation for referendum to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

This is as the Chairman of the Adada State Movement, Chief James Ugwu, disclosed that the request for the creation of Adada state started immediately after the Nigerian civil war when it was presented to the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, in 1970.

In addition, the Senator representing Enugu North Senatorial District, Senator Okey Ezea said that the proposal for the Adada state creation has met the relevant section of the 1999 constitution and recommended it for approval by the National Assembly.

The Adada stakeholders made the disclosures during the Senate’s South East zonal public hearing on the review of the 1999 constitution in Enugu, on Friday.

According to Nwodo, section 8-(1) of the constitution stipulates that the National Assembly can create a new state through an Act, but only if a request supported by at least two-thirds of the members representing the area seeking the new state in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as in the relevant State Houses of Assembly, is made.

Submitting a proposal for the amendment of the constitution to allow for the creation of Adada state, Nwodo further said that the demands of section 8 (1) of the constitution has been met by his people, displaying where all relevant legislators in the affected parts of Enugu state, including councilors, House of Assembly members and National Assembly members had all signed in concurrence for the creation of the proposed Adada state.

Nwodo recalled that Adada state was already recommended for creation by the 2014 constitutional conference under Justice Idris Kutgi as the only state slated for creation, stressing that Adada is the most viable prospective state in the southeastern part of Nigeria with its abundant human and natural resources.

He reflected that Adada is the most agitated state in Nigeria that remains denied even after every other province in the country has been awarded a state, except for Nsukka province.

Nwodo stated that in particular, Adada or the old Nsukka Province has remained the only colonial zone in the northern Igbo land that has not been made a state capital, whereas the southern parts of the Igbo land have attracted three states, leaving its northern counterpart with only two states.

He therefore argued that equity demands that if any other state should be created in the southeast, Adada should be given utmost priority with its agitation dating back to 1983 on the floor of the senate, before any other proposed state in the zone.

Nwodo said, “There are several reasons for the creation of Adada state. One, in the southeast, in the last creation of states, the northern part of Igbo, comprising Enugu and Ebonyi, ended up with a state, while the rest of the southern parts of Igbo land got three states. When you share things among your children and there is no equity you bring anger and desperation.

“Number two, Igbos are a very important people of this country; our population is grossly underestimated because more than 50 per cent of the Igbo live outside Igboland. There is no part of this country that you go to and the majority of the population outside the indigenous population is not Igbo. It is our enterprise, our ways of life, it is our anxiety to break new ground, and most of these people register themselves in the states where they are.

“The state that we ask for, Adada state has seven out of the 17 local governments in Enugu state. Six of the local governments are in Adada and one is in the Enugu East senatorial zone. We suffered a serious injustice in the creation of constituencies here because, as usual, no Nsukka man was in the federal executive. Now, you will be surprised that out of the 17 local governments in Enugu state, we have only six, but we have 54 per cent of the population. So the other two senators represent 22 per cent each, and our own senator represents 52 per cent because they took away one local government to make up a senatorial zone.

“Therefore, for anybody in Igbo South to ask for a state here is an injury. When we started this movement was after Abia, Imo and Anambra were created. We approached the national assembly under David Mark, under Ahmed Lawal, and they gave us attention and considered our programmes and submissions, but the government in power did not have state creation as a paramount agenda as you appear to have now. We are hoping that your efforts will give us dividends. We approached the national Constitutional conference in 2014 under Justice Idris Kutige who recommended the creation of Adada state. The only state it recommended here was Adada state. When Achike Udenwa was the Governor of Imo state, the entire Igbo met in Imo to choose one state, and after a very long meeting, they came to a resolution that it is Adada state, and that resolution up till today has not been revised. Adada is the whipping and neglected part of the southeast.

“I told you that we were not represented in the federal executive council. It was Silas Ilo and Jim Nwobodo at the time the local governments were created and they gave us six local governments. Imagine 54 per cent of the state with six local governments. This is unfair and Daniel has come to judgment with this National Assembly committee.

“The potential for Adada state is vast, we have oil and Gas reserves. Anambra state is horizontally drilling our oil in Uzo-Uwani, we have the potential for viability, economically. We have extensive land for agriculture; we have a navigable sea whose confluence ends in rivers Niger and Benue. In manpower resources, we have one of the best universities, thanks to Nnamdi Azikwe, and our people took to education, so we have many professors who can manage the state. I do hope that I have appealed to your conscience. Thank you.”

Adding to the competency of Adada state creation, the Chairman of Adada State Movement, Chief James Ugwu, stated that he had a request presented in 1970 to the then Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, for the creation of Adada state.

He maintained that the creation of Adada state will resolve the internal imbalance in Igbo land with the northern Igbo (Wawa people) having three states to be at par with its southern flank of Igbo land that already has three states, while resolving the external imbalance of the south east having six states as other regions in Nigeria.

“So what we are saying is that having met the provision of section 8 (1) of the 1999 constitution, the next thing is that our request should be sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a referendum.

“Again, in Enugu state, it’s not just that the Governor (Peter Mbah) is doing well, not just that he won his election, but he is performing more than any other Governor.”

The Senator representing Enugu North senatorial district, Senator Okey Ezea, said that Adada is unarguably the only province in Nigeria that has not been made a state, agreeing that the proposed Adada state is also the only proposed state that has met the provisions of section 8 sub-section 1(a) of the 1999 constitution.

Signed
Ike Abonyi
Media Director Adàda State Movement.