Reps’ recommendation of 31 new States: justification for clamour for Uni-cameral legislative structure, by Kola Amzat 

In recent years, generality of Nigerians have been resilient and unwavering in clamoring for unicameral legislative structure as against the existing bi-cameral arrangement presently on, in the country.

Majorly, they anchor their persistent demands on the unwieldy number of federal legislators, particularly, at the lower chamber, and the fiscal effect of maintaining them on the nation resources.

For emphasis, the total number of federal lawmakers is 469, comprising 109 senators and 360 house of reps members.

Nigerians are particularly critical of members of lower chamber who they accused of persistently deploying plenary sessions for pedestrian and trivial issues that have no bearing with matters that concern the growth and development of the country.

They further accused them of treating their legislative duty and responsibility with levity, and paying little or no attention to the seriousness and commitment that the matters that bother on posterity of the nation deserve.

We vividly recall that few months ago, the House of Reps were strongly in battle of supremacy contest with senate chamber, demanding equal rights and privileges with members of the upper chamber, a development that gives them out as lawmakers pitiably bereft of provisions of 1999 Constitution as amended, as far as their spurious and unrealistic demands are concerned.

They went as far as mandating the president to confer on the Speaker, House of Reps with national award of Grand Commander of Order of Niger (GCON), in their quest to have him on the same pedestal with Senate President, a mandate that the Commander-in-Chief ignominiously ignored.

There have been other matters that they’ve delved into, in recent times that have provided justification for vociferous voices of Nigerians that, may be, the country may be better off, without members of lower chamber in saddle.

But, the recent recommendation of the House on Constitutional Review Committee for the creation of 31 new states is a climax in confirming the age-long fear of Nigerians that the country may not move at the desire pace with the crop of lawmakers presently holding sway at the lower chamber.

For the records, the new states they recommended for creation are as follows:

North-Central: Benue Ala State – carved out of the present Benue State.

North-East: Amana State – from the present Adamawa State.

Katagum State – from the present Bauchi State.

Savannah State – from the present Borno State.

Muri State – from the present Taraba State.

North-West: New Kaduna State & Gurara State – From the present Kaduna State.

South-East: Etiti State – proposed as the sixth state in the South-East geopolitical zone.

South-South:

South-West:

Lagoon State – from parts of Lagos and Ogun States.

Before the House on Constitutional Review Committee made recommendation of the 31 new states, did they bother to ask themselves of understated pertinent questions?

 1 How many of the new states been recommended have capacity of self-sustenance?

 2. Are the committee members equally aware of the fact that some of the existing states can’t really survive without periodical bail- outs from the federal government?

 3. Have they also asked themselves whether the country resources can accommodate the existing states and the new states they’ve proposed?

 4. Are the lawmakers aware of humongous resources those 31 states require to take off, particularly funding the new state capitals and indeed, bring them to the pedestal of capitals befitting of a state?

5. The committee’s recommendation of 3 additional states from present Kogi state, 3 new states from existing Benue state, 2 new states from present Kano state, 2 new states from existing Kaduna state, 2 new states from present Oyo state is an eloquently testimony that they’re oblivious of the essence of state creation and that state creation is not the same as local government.

 6. Otherwise, what resources or potential resources have they discovered in Kogi to warrant additional 3 states? The same question applied to Benue, even Kaduna state? And, what about Kano and Oyo states? How many industry/s those states presently have to justify carving out 2 additional states from them?

 7. It’s also apparent that the members of lower chamber, in recommending the unwieldy 31 new states are not on the same page with the president, who has been unwavering and uncompromising in his determination in ensuring that, the plethora of on-going reforms accomplish their purposes.

Even the prosperous, wealthy and prodigiously blessed America, the bastion of democracy, have 50 states. And, there exists no plan both now and in the nearest future to create additional new states.

How much more Nigeria entity that is gradually coming out of economic challenges and infrastructural decay largely inherited from successive administrations, the two hydra-headed challenges that the present administration has committed humongous resources in the last 3 years!

The crux of this Piece remains that, by their activities and lesser contributions to governance over years, members of lower chamber have not significantly justified why the nation have to continue to commit to two (2) legislative chambers at the federal level.

They’ve not sufficiently proved that they’re indeed partner in progress with the executive to ensure and drive purposeful, result-oriented and people-centric governance.

It therefore behooves on the federal government to start planning on how to tinker with 1999 Constitution, as amended with the aim and objectives of putting in place a UNI-CAMERAL legislative structure. Besides, having a manageable legislative membership, this model is also assured of legislative members that would be imbued with maturity, discerning minds and patriotic zeal to work in concert with the president.

Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB)

Lagos based Financial &; Management Consultants,

09077509348.