Enoch Oyedibu
The Nigeria Senate has given conditions for the creation of 20 new states in the country.
The conditions were contained in a statement by the Senate Spokesperson and Chairman, Senate Committee of Media and Public Affairs, Ajibola Basiru.
Recalled that PIJAONLINE had earlier reported the move of the Senate to create new states out of Kogi, Delta, Oyo and other states in Nigeria.
In the statement titled, ‘Senate committee did not propose the creation of 20 New States’, Bashiru said the 20 new states would only be approved if there are compliances with the provisions of section 8 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic as amended.
Among the provisions of the section are having a referendum by at least two-thirds majority of the people of the area; and approval by a two-thirds majority of members of each House of the National Assembly.
The statement read, “Our attention has been drawn to a media report that the Senate Committee of Review of 1999 Constitution has proposed the creation of additional 20 States.
The report is a gross misrepresentation of the decision of the committee on the request for creation of more states. Far from recommending creation of any state, the Senate Committee, while acknowledging receipts of several Bills proposing creation of new states, decided that it is not in a position to recommend or proposed the creation of any state unless there is compliance with the provisions of section 8 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic as amended.
“For ease of reference, Section 8 of the Constitution provides:
An Act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new State shall only be passed if-
(a) 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;
(b) a proposal for the creation of the State is 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;
(c) 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
(d) the proposal is approved by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of members of each House of the National Assembly.
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