The youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has rejected the proposed additional five states for the South East as recommended by the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on constitution review.
The five new proposed states to be carved out from the South East are Etiti, Orashi, Adada, Orlu and Aba.
In opposing the House Ohanaeze youths said the proposal would further increase the marginalization of the South-East zone.
In a statement made available to journalists on Friday, the National President of Ohanaeze Youth Council Worldwide, Mr. Okwu Nnabuike, said Ndigbo have been crying of marginalization, given that they have only five states, as against six and seven by some regions in the country.
Okwu said to worsen the situation, the House of Representatives is proposing an additional five states for the South East, while increasing the number of states for other regions.
He urged the National Assembly to jettison the idea in order to avoid worsening the ill-feelings by the people of the South East.
“When we read the news about the Reps’ proposal for state creation, we were delighted. However, on clear scrutiny of the proposed states, we identified a clear further marginalization of the South East.
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“Our zone has been crying for an additional state since the return to democracy in 1999. But, it has always been scuttled by those who are happy with having Ndigbo subjugated in this country.
“We find this current constitution amendment process as an ample opportunity to right that wrong, but we are seeing the contrary,” Okwu lamented.
He said any genuine effort at uniting the country should start by first giving the South East two additional states, after which an equal number of states should be created for each of the regions to bring them at par.
Okwu took umbrage at the members of the House of Representatives from the South East, for allowing such a proposal which is skewed against the South-East.
He urged them to go back to the drawing board and correct the abnormality for the sake of unity in the country.