North kicks against new state for South East

THE path to the planned amendment of the 1999 Constitution appears already mined even before the commencement of the journey.

There are fears in the North of a plot to create a new state from the South East without recourse to the rules.
It also believes there is a plan to alter the constitution such that the President could appoint ministers on geo-political basis as against the present state basis.

Both allegations, if they turn out to be true, are capable of eroding the perceived political advantage enjoyed by the North over the years and put it on an equal political footing with the South.
Governor Rabiu Kwankwanso of Kano State who raised the alarm yesterday spoke of a plan by the National Assembly Committee on Constitution Review to create a new state under the table.
He named the Chairman of the committee, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, as the brain behind the agenda.
He also allaged plan by the committee to alter the 1999 Constitution to empower the President to appoint ministers on the basis of the nation’s six geopolitical zones.
Kwankwanso, who bared his mind in an interview in Abuja, said some politicians are trying to take advantage of the present weak position of the North to cheat the region.
He spoke against the backdrop of comments attributed to the Deputy President of the Senate at a recent presidential retreat on Constitution Review at the Presidential Villa.
The governor asked the National Assembly Constitution Review Committee to lay the criteria for state creation on the table for all Nigerians to consider and weigh.
He said he could not understand why the South-East deserves an additional state when its population is not up to that of the North-West.
Armed with the result of the 2006 Census, the governor said the population of the North-West alone is 35,786, 944 compared to the 37,396,384 combined population of the South-East and South-South.
He claimed that the population of Enugu State (3, 257,298) where Ekweremadu comes from is about one-third of Kano State’s 9,383,682
He queried why Ekweremadu would be scheming for a new state from Enugu and leave out Kano State which deserves three new states.
He said going by the Census figures, “some states ought to be merged.”
The governor pleaded with members of the Senate and House of Representatives from the North to be vigilant in respect of the planned constitution review.
He also asked the Constitution Review Committee to be more transparent in state creation and other issues.
He said: “As far as we are concerned, if we have to go for constitution amendment, all issues should be on the table. We do not want a situation where state creation would be a matter of yes or man-know- man or I have this or I have that.
“Kano has 44 local governments because we are over 9.4million population by the last census and we have the landmass. Now if you want to change things, let us come up with criteria, don’t just do it under the table on the pretence that they have five states in the South-East.
“They (the South-East) should not have five in my opinion. What is the population of the South-East?
“I am saying this with all sense of responsibility; I am not playing any regional or ethnic politics. But you see, I am representing a state now. I will not allow anybody to go and make nonsense of what we have. If you want to create your state, go and create, do not call Kano anyhow.
“Let us have criteria, there have to be criteria for creation of states. I am telling you the population of some states, local governments and some zones should be on the table. You don’t just say because you want to contest an election or make a name to create state. We have been yearning for more states in Kano; we want to have three states.
“If you divide Kano State into three states, each state is more than Enugu State in terms of landmass, population and any criteria you can think of. They were lucky because offer at that time was from their side.
“If you want to go and create local governments in Enugu or in the East, don’t call Kano by any name. If you call Kano, you stand the risk of getting your answer. And Ekweremadu should learn from experience. He is still a young man; hopefully he still has 20 or 30 years of politics.
“That is why we are suggesting that they should mind their language. If they want their state, let them get it but not to be abusing Kano by claiming that it has 44 local governments.
“I decided to speak on this issue simply because I realized that people are not being fair. I am an advocate of supporting state creation but not the way and manner these people are trying to do it because they are biased, they are unfair.
“Go and check the 2006 census. You see, people will want to eat their cake and have it. Where they have advantage, they will say it is no go area, do not go there. We are disadvantaged. If there is any state that should be divided into more states, it is Kano.”
Kwankwanso asked lawmakers in the National Assembly to be more careful and pay attention to constitution review.
He added: “That is why I want to advise our own people to be more careful. They should not go to the National Assembly and do something else. You are on paper representing us and you go there and you are voting for others.
“I want to challenge our members (from the North) to stand up. That is why I will support Northern governors to empower Arewa House, where they keep history, to go and put table in the gallery of the House of Representatives and in the gallery of the Senate. Any member of the House of Reps or Senate who is voting for any position should be recorded, his father, his constituency should be recorded.”
Responding to a question, the governor said he raised the debate on onshore /offshore dichotomy because opinions on it are needed now.
He said: “I am not talking about onshore /offshore because I wanted to abuse anybody. But this is the junction, this is the point to talk. People are going for constitution review, things are now on the table. I did not say it last year or year before but now things are on the table.”
Kwankwanso also expressed concern over alleged plan to alter Section 147 of the 1999 Constitution on the appointment of Ministers.
He said some people are pushing for the appointment of ministers on the basis of the six geopolitical zones instead of each of the 36 states having a representative in the Federal Executive Council.
He said: “Another issue that is very important is zoning. In the review, we are aware that some people want zones to be recognized and they want appointment of ministers to be based on zone not on states. We say no to that. We cannot accept that.
“What they want is to change the status quo where ministers will come three states in each of the six geopolitical zones. The issue is that when it comes to selection of ministers, it will be based on zone. It means the President may avoid certain states if he or she so wishes. This side of the country will not accept that.
“We have to be careful, we have to understand the politics of now and we have to understand the politics of tomorrow.”
He said his fears stemmed from the fact that if ministers are appointed on geopolitical zone basis a President would be at liberty to decide his preference for states or candidates.
He gave example of the appointment of the present Minister from Kano with the state having no input.