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The Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, yesterday led a high-powered delegation to the National Assembly to demand the creation of Edu State from present Niger State.
Other members in the delegation were Etsu Agaie Alhaji Muhammadu Kudu Abubakar, former minister of information Prof. Jerry Gana, Senator Zainab Kure, Kakaki Nupe and chairman of LEADERSHIP Group, Sam Nda-Isaiah, Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly Hon. Adamu Usman Mokwa as well as other members of the state assembly.
The Etsu Nupe, at the office of the Senate president David Mark, submited an updated version of their memoranda which sought to strengthen their demand.
In his address, Prof. Jerry Gana stated that the demand for the creation of Edu state was in realisation of the enormous natural resource and land mass in Niger State.
He said that, currently, Niger State is bigger in land mass than the whole of the south-east and equal to the south-west
He said that “We came to present to you and the committee on constitution review an updated memoranda for consideration for the creation of Edu State.
Niger remains the only state from which a new state has not been created. Niger State alone is bigger than the whole of south-east and equal to south-west. It is vast and has variety of solid minerals. The proposed Edu state is a prospective oil-producing state. It will be a viable and developed state with a capital at Bida.
On his part, Senate president, David Mark assured that lawmakers would give their demand urgent attention, stressing that the delegation could not be taken for granted.
Mark said: “Your request is already one of the 50 requests we have. Yours will enjoy priority because of the people who are part of the request. To create new states, we have to amend the schedule to the constitution, given the mechanisms for constitution amendment. We as a parliament must build a national consensus. It starts with the National Assembly but does not stop with us.
It requires the consensus of 2/3 of the state assemblies. The Senate will do its bit which is the constitutional process.
“But you must do your own bit of lobbying for national consensus by convincing others to shelve their request for acceptance of Edu State. We can’t take the calibre of people here for granted; we will give your request urgent attention.”
