MBC seeks re- configuration of Nigeria into 12 provinces

…Suggests abolition of LGAs

The Middle Belt Congress (MBC) Tuesday started the  agitation for re- configuration of Nigeria federation from the present 36 states to 12 provinces with submission to the Senate’s Constitution Review Committee.

The committee received a total of 49 other memoranda for constitution amendments from various interest groups.

The MBC in its memorandum sighted in Abuja Tuesday, also seeks for creation of additional 19 states in the country to make the total number of states to be 55.

 It stated that the 55 states will not however function as federating units but serve as development areas under the 12 provinces that will emerge as new federating units.

The group also seeks for abolition of the 774 local government councils as third tier of government.

The local government councils, it argues , should be relegated to municipalities under total control of states.

The memorandum reads in part: ” That  there shall be only two tiers of government in Nigeria – the federal government and the federating units as sub-national governments .

 “That  local governments councils should no  longer function as third tier of  government but as administrative units of the sub-national governments.

“The former LGs should be renamed councils or municipalities  or development areas or burroughs or any other names  Nigerians might prefer.

“That  there shall be twelve (12) federating units in Nigeria to be  called provinces comprising of the states written against their  name as follows:

(1) North-west province shall comprise Sokoto, Kebbi, and   Zamfara states. (2) North-central province shall comprise Kaduna and  Katsina states. (3) North-north province shall comprise Kano, Jigawa and  Ghari states.

(4) North-east province shall comprise Borno, Yobe,  Gombe, Bauchi, Amana, Savannah, and Katagum states. (5) Middle-Belt west province shall comprise Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Edu and Kainji states. (6) Middle-Belt East Province shall comprise Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Taraba, Gurara and Apa  states. (7) Western Province shall comprise Oyo, Osun, Ondo,

Ekiti, Ose, Okun and New Oyo states. (8) South-West province shall comprise Lagos, Ogun, and Ijebu states.

 ” Others are: (9) Mid-West province shall comprise Delta, Edo and Anioma states. (10) Niger Delta province shall comprise Rivers, Bayelsa and Oil River states. (11) South-East province shall comprise Anambra, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Aba, Adada, Njaba and Etiti states. (12) South-South province shall comprise Akwa Ibom,  Cross River, and Ogoja states”.

 Specifically, the 19 new states proposed by the group are :1. Aba state from Abia state, 2. Adada state from Enugu state 3. Amana state from Adamawa state, 4. Anioma state from Delta state, 5. Apa state from Benue state, 6. Edu state from Niger state, 7. Etiti state from South east geopolitical zone, 8. Ghari state from Kano state and  (9.) Gurara state from Kaduna state.

 Others are:  10. Ijebu state from Ogun state,  11. Kainji state from Kebbi and Niger states, 12. Katagum state from Jigawa state, 13. New Oyo state from the Oyo state, 14. Njaba-Anim state from Anambra and Imo states, 15. Ogoja state from Cross River state  16. Oil River state from Rivers state, 17. Okun state from Ekiti, Ondo, Kwara and Kogi states and (18) Ose state from Edo state.”

One of the other groups that submitted memorandum to the committee on Tuesday , is the Coalition of Federalists for Good Governance in Nigeria ( CFGG).

CFGG in its own memorandum jointly signed by the national co-ordinator, Taiye  Odewale and secretary, Aisha Jibrin , seeks for removal of mining  and policing from exclusive list to concurrent list in paving way for creation of state police .

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