On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed through First Reading a bill for the creation of a new state in the south-eastern region of Nigeria known as Orlu State.
The proposed legislation, which is set for second reading, was sponsored by the lawmaker representing Ideato North South Federal Constituency of Imo State, Hon. Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere, and other lawmakers.
A draft of the bill made available to journalists stated that “the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) (herein referred to as the “Principal Act”) is altered as set out in this Bill; Section 3 of the Principal Act is amended as follows: There shall be thirty-seven states in Nigeria, that is to say, Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Orlu, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara”.
Also, the bill seeks an amendment to the 1999 Constitution by inserting a new paragraph immediately after the Ondo State and before the Osun State paragraph, to read as follows:
State: Orlu; Capital City: Orlu.
Local Government Areas as to be amended will now include “Orlu, Orsu, Oru West, Oru East, Ideato North, Ideato South, Njaba, Nkwerre, Nwangele, Isu, Oguta, Ohaji Egbema, Onuimo, Ihiala, Uga, Ihiala, Uli, Ozubulu, Akokwa, Arondizuogu, Umuchu, Umunze, Umuaku, New Ideato North, Nwabosi West, Nwabosi East, Owerre Nkworji, Alaoma, Amaifeke, Owerrebiri Umuowa.”
The lead sponsor, Hon. Ugochinyere, told journalists that the proposed state will be carved out from Imo, Abia, and Anambra.
He also told journalists that when the state is created, Ideato will emerge as a senatorial district.
He appealed to his colleagues at the National Assembly for support to ensure that the bill scales through Second Reading.
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