Ohanaeze Youths Reject Proposed Five Additional States for South-East, Criticize Regional Lawmakers

Ohanaeze ndi Igbo youths 

The youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, has firmly rejected the proposal to create five additional states in Nigeria’s South-East region. The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide expressed its disapproval following a recent proposal by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review to create 31 new states across the country. If approved, Nigeria would expand from its current 36 states (including the Federal Capital Territory) to 67 sub-national entities.

The proposed new states include Okun, Okura, and Confluence from Kogi; Benue Ala and Apa from Benue; FCT State; Amana from Adamawa; Katagum from Bauchi; Savannah from Borno; and Muri from Taraba. Other proposed states are New Kaduna and Gujarat from Kaduna; Tiga and Ari from Kano; Kainji from Kebbi; Etiti, Orashi, Adada, Orlu, and Aba from the South-East; Ogoja from Cross River; Warri from Delta; Ori and Obolo from Rivers; Torumbe from Ondo; Ibadan from Oyo; Lagoon from Lagos; Ijebu from Ogun; and Oke Ogun/Ijesha from Oyo, Ogun, and Osun.

However, the Ohanaeze Youth Council has criticized the proposal, arguing that it exacerbates the marginalization of the South-East. In a statement issued on Friday, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, National President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council Worldwide, highlighted that the South-East currently has only five states, compared to six or seven in other regions. He described the proposal to grant the South-East just five additional states while allocating more to other regions as unfair and discriminatory.

Nnabuike expressed disappointment with the House of Representatives members from the South-East, accusing them of failing to advocate for the region’s interests. He urged the National Assembly to reconsider the proposal to avoid deepening the sense of alienation among the South-East populace. 

“When we first heard about the proposal, we were hopeful,” Nnabuike said. “But upon closer examination, it became clear that this plan further marginalizes the South-East. Our region has long demanded an additional state since the return to democracy in 1999, but these efforts have been consistently thwarted by those who benefit from the subjugation of Ndigbo.”

Nnabuike called for a more equitable approach to state creation, suggesting that the South-East should first be granted two additional states to address historical imbalances. He emphasized that any genuine effort to unite the country must begin with rectifying the existing disparities among regions.

The Ohanaeze Youth Council also criticized South-East lawmakers for their perceived failure to challenge the proposal, urging them to revisit the issue and advocate for a fairer distribution of states. “Our representatives must correct this anomaly for the sake of national unity,” Nnabuike stated. “The South-East deserves equal treatment, and this proposal falls far short of that standard.”

The rejection of the proposal by Ohanaeze youths underscores longstanding grievances over regional inequality in Nigeria’s political structure. As the constitutional review process continues, the debate over state creation is likely to remain a contentious issue, particularly for the South-East, which has long sought greater representation and autonomy within the federation.