*Says he’d have preferred relocation of state capital to centre point
*NASS can create new State but… he says
By Precious Godswill
The House of Representatives member representing Okpe, Sapele and Uvwie Hon. Ben Etanabene, has confirmed that the Bill for the request for the creation of Urhobo State from the present Delta State, is ready for presentation on the floor of the Green Chambers, saying that it is an ongoing exercise.
Etanabene who was reacting to questions in an exclusive interview on why the agitation for the creation of Urhobo State was not included amongst the 31 proposals from different parts of the country as announced by the Deputy Speaker, stated that finishing touches were still ongoing to produce a perfect document to be presented before the House, adding that within the next two weeks it will be ready.
It will be recalled that the House of Representatives in its plenary on Thursday February 6, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who presided, announced 31 proposals from different parts of the country for creation of new states.
The Deputy Speaker who is also the chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review gave a deadline of March 6, 2025 for submission of proposals to the Committee.
Several Urhobo sons and daughters started expressing worries when the proposal for the creation of Urhobo State was conspicuously absent from the list of 31 announced by the Deputy Speaker.
When contacted, the Honourable member representing Okpe Sapele and Uvwie Federal Constituency in the House explained that although the list that was announced by the Deputy Speaker was basically those submitted to the Committee during their Retreat last year, he said that there are others which were already before the House as bills that were not included in the list.
Etanabene further explained that a thorough job was being done to perfect the Urhobo bill especially in the area of local government and their headquarters as required by the constitution in Section 8.
‘It is an ongoing process. We also have been discussing the modalities for the presentation of a Bill for the creation of Urhobo State, which obviously, we shall do any moment from now.
“I can tell you today that the draft is ready. The reason for the delay is because we have to reconcile the headquarters of the Local Government Areas. I can tell you that before the end of the next two weeks the motion for the creation of Urhobo State will be presented on the floor of the House”, he disclosed.
Speaking on the necessity of the creation of new states in the country at this time, Hon. Etanabene said he is not an apostle of creation of new states in the country at the moment, arguing that most states are not viable enough to survive outside the takeaways they get from Abuja every month called allocations.
According to him, apart from one or two states in the country, others have not been able to invest on themselves to survive outside the federal government grants and allocations. He likened the situation to a “feeding bottle”, scenario, pointing out that every State runs to Abuja monthly to pick up their feeding bottles.
He however conceded that presently, some places in the country are disadvantaged, adding that for justice sake new States could be created for such areas.
“If you ask me personally if we need more states in Nigeria, I would probably tell you No and Yes at the same time. No, in the sense that the states we have today are all like feeding bottles. Everybody runs cap in hands to Abuja to collect money. States are not investing in themselves to be able to take care of themselves. Apart from one or two states in Nigeria, none can claim they can survive without federal government grants and allocations. So, why have more states in the first place. So, I think it is not necessary.
“However, because of the injustice to some places, it has become necessary. For me, I don’t see any reason why the South East should not have the sixth state to be equal with other zones that have six states each. So, the South East should have another one”, he noted.
On the need for additional states in Delta, the national lawmaker bared his mind, saying that he would have preferred the relocation of the State capital from Asaba to somewhere more central like Ughelli so that all parts of the State could maintain an equidistance from their various locations to the State capital.
He stated that while people from Delta Central spend between 3 to 4 hours to get to the state capital, Asaba, those from Burutu and Bomadi in the riverine areas of the state spend up to 8 hours on the road before they get to Asaba, the State capital.
According to him that is injustice, adding that relocating the State capital which is more beneficial to the people of Anambra State is more preferable than creating a new State.
“Again, it was unjust the manner at which state capitals were created. It was like they were created for other people. Like in Delta State, the capital in Asaba helps more people from Anambra even more than the people in Burutu and Bomadi.
“So, it would have been nice if that capital is situated somewhere near the middle, in places like the Ughelli area of the present day Delta. But one has to travel from one end to the other end for those who are coming from the riverine area almost like 8 hours before you get to the state capital is not fair, it is not just. Hence, the agitation for an Urhobo State, so that at least government can be close to the people. It is for some of these reasons, otherwise, I’m not an advocate of the proliferation of states in Nigeria because the new states are not viable at all”, he said.
On why most states will remain unviable, Etanabene blamed it on the nature of the 1999 Constitution as well as the overwhelming power of the executive arm of government. According to him, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, is Unitary in nature.
He argued that in the real sense of the word, Nigeria is operating a military system of government and not federal system of government. The former labour leader stressed that the present Constitution does not allow states to tap their potentials for survival like it was under the 1963 constitution, adding that all the agitations for the creation of new State is premised in the allocations from oil production in the Niger Delta.
Etanabene opined that unless and until the oil in the Niger Delta dries up, states will not find alternative sources of survival.
“The only source of survival in this country is oil. So, creating more states will be putting more pressure on the oil production from the Niger Delta. They keep the mineral resources which they have they are mining it for themselves, but the oil in the Niger Delta is for all. So, it is a mixed feeling.
“Every state in this country has one resource or the other to survive as an independent state. But the way Nigeria is wired today, the way the Constitution is wired today can only suggest that more than 90 percent of the states cannot survive. Like the example you gave that should the oil dries up today, you know that necessities is the mother of invention. It is only when things happen that you begin to see people coming out with inventions. So, I agree with you that if the oil dries up today, most states will begin to find alternative sources to survive. But the way the Nigeria constitution is today, that is why I’m saying 90 percent of the states cannot survive.
“Also, a little portion of the problem apart from the constitution is the person who is at the helms of affair in the country. If we have one person as the President of the country as it is now, the rest of Nigerians will queue behind him to do whatever policy or drive he chooses to adopt for the country. And that is the executive power of the president. So, in effect, it is a combination of the constitution and the man at the helms of affairs that determine the structure of the country today”, he stated.
On why he is supporting the creation of Urhobo State even when he claims he is not apostle of state proliferation, Etanabene said that as a representative of the people, he must listen to their voices and opinions even when they are not in tandem with his personal views.
“As a representative of the people in the National Assembly, you ought to listen to the requests and opinions of the people you represent. So, even if your thought and opinion is not in agreement with your constituents, as a representative, you must present their case before the National Assembly. I have said it that I don’t see the reason for the creation of more states in the country. As for Delta State what I think is the injustice is the location of the State Capital. So, I would rather canvass the relocation of the State capital to a central place like Ughelli where our brothers from the riverine area can access within a short time and even the people in Asaba can access in a short time. That, for me, is the injustice I see in Delta State.
“But because our people will not agree with this opinion of my, that is why I do support the creation of Urhobo State. Aside that, I’m not an apostle for the proliferation of creation of states in this country. But as I see the responses and reactions of a vast majority of Urhobo population in most of debates and Town Hall meetings, I can see that they are rest with the creation of Urhobo State”, he concluded.
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