Penultimate Thursday, the House of Representatives Committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution, tabled a proposal for the creation of 31 additional states in the country. Were the announcement made on a first day of April, Nigerians would have dismissed it as a huge joke. The additional states will bring the total number of states to 67 if the proposal sails through.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the plenary, read a letter from the committee containing the proposed states. In the report, all the geo-political zones have been balkanised in the following order: The North-central zone – seven states; North-east zone – five states; North-west – five states; South-east – five states; South-south zone – four states and South-west zone – seven states.

According to the 1999 Constitution (as amended), a new state can only be created if the following conditions are met. Specifically, section 8 (1) (a) stipulates that a request, supported by at least two-thirds majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new state) in each of the following, namely, (i) the Senate and the House of Representatives, (ii) the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and (iii) the local government councils in respect of the area, is received by the National Assembly; a request for the state creation supported by at least 66% of the people in the area where the request comes from – the senatorial district and federal constituency; the local constituency or constituencies that the new state will be carved from; the local government areas that will be involved in the creation of the new state is received in both arms of the National Assembly .

Section 8 (1) (b) also stipulates that a proposal for the creation of the state will be thereafter approved in a referendum by at least two-thirds majority of the people of the area where the demand for creation of the state originated. Such a request can only be approved in a vote in the area concerned, with at least 66% of the people in the area where the request comes from. Section 8 (1) (c) further stipulates that the result of the referendum is then approved by a simple majority of all the states of the federation supported by a simple majority of members of the Houses of Assembly; and the referendum must be approved by at least 19 states of the federation, as well as at least 51% of the members of the State Houses of Assembly. Section 8 (1) (d) states that the proposal must be approved by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of members of each House of the National Assembly. The referendum must also be approved by a resolution passed by at least 66% of the members of both arms of the National Assembly.

From the aforementioned stringent conditions stipulated in the constitution, it is crystal clear that the exercise is not a stroll in the park, except during the military era. The only state ever created during the civilian regime was the Mid-West Region carved out of the old Western Region in 1963 when Nigeria became a Republic, bringing the number of the regions to four.

Subsequently, the Gowon regime balakanised the country into 12 states in 1967 as a coup de grace following Ojukwu’s declaration of the ill-fated Republic of Biafra made up of the old Eastern Region. Further balkanisation was carried out on February 3, 1976 by the Murtala regime that brought the number to 19. On September 23, 1987, the Babangida regime first created two states, Akwa Ibom and Katsina, and followed up with nine other states on August 27, 1991, bringing the total number to 30. On October 1, 1996, Gen. Abacha created the last set of six states.

State creation is seen as a major reorganisation policy aimed at promoting unity in diversity particularly among the various ethnic groups in a heterogeneous country such as Nigeria. It is also aimed at resolving boundary disputes and promoting national development. However, the mushrooming of states translates to the multiplication of administrative agencies, particularly the bureaucracy. The constant increase in the number of these sub-regional structures, no doubt, has a lot of consequences for their viability, effectiveness and even efficiency.

As a matter of fact, a large number of the existing states are not viable, insolvent and cannot survive without the usual monthly handouts from the federal government. Some of them were not supposed to have been created in the first place. The challenges state multiplication pose in the face of financial asphyxiation currently bedeviling the country are that the governance structures which have ballooned beyond control, with some states unable to meet basic commitments like to pay living wages to their workers. The exercise will only amount to creating more jobs for politicians and avenues for corrupt practices. The only zone, in our view, requiring an additional state is the South-east to ensure fairness and equity. There are more challenges needing constitutional solutions than embarking on an exercise that will further lead us into a cul-de-sac. The proposal to increase the number of states to 67 was not a well-thought idea as evidenced by the negative reactions it has generated from a cross-section of Nigerian political and economic commentators and should be smothered at its inchoate stage. (Blueprint Editorial)