Bill to create Anioma State scales first reading at Senate

The Senate first heard the bill to modify the 1999 Constitution to establish Anioma State from the current Delta State.

The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999( Alteration) Bill, 2024 (SB. 481) was sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko, PDP, Delta North.

The bill seeks to alter three sections of the 1999 constitution, to delete the word 36 and replacing it with the word 37 to accommodate the new state and to insert the word Anioma, immediately after Delta in the list of states contained in the Constitution.

Senator Nwoko’s bill is pushing for the creation of Anioma State aimed at reorganizing the nine local government areas currently in Delta North.

The proposed Anioma State would encompass the local government areas of Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Ika North-East, Ika South, Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, Oshimili North, Oshimili South, and Ukwuani, with Asaba designated as the state capital.

Recall that Nwoko had said that the South East geopolitical zone currently has five states, unlike its counterparts, except for the North West, which has seven states,” he wrote.

According to him, “This disparity results in an imbalance of representation and resources, with the South East having only 15 lawmakers compared to the 18 lawmakers of other zones in the senate.

“This inequity affects legislative representation and the distribution of national resources, perpetuating a longstanding injustice.

“I am presenting a bill for the creation of Anioma state to correct this historical oversight. Anioma is composed of nine local government areas, six of which are rich in oil and gas resources.

“The region also boasts significant human capital, making it a viable and sustainable candidate for statehood. Creating Anioma state is not just about increasing the number of states; it is about ensuring fair representation and resource allocation for the South East.”

Nwoko had also said that the call for the creation of the new state has widespread support from various stakeholders.