Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has urged the creation of an additional state in the South East to bring the region at par with other geopolitical zones.
He also advocated for a rotational presidency and state police to promote inclusivity, security, and national cohesion. Mbah emphasized that the South East suffers injustice due to having only five states, unlike other zones with six or more. He believes creating an additional state would correct this historical imbalance and give the region a sense of belonging.
The governor strongly supports a rotational presidency, arguing it would provide every region, including the South East, a fair chance at occupying the highest office. This, he believes, would reduce tensions caused by perceived domination and ensure inclusion.
Mbah also highlighted the importance of state police, describing it as a "truly welcome development" that would enhance security and give states more control over their law enforcement.
The governor made these calls during a courtesy visit from members of the Senate Committee on Constitution Amendment, ahead of a public hearing on constitution amendment scheduled for Friday, July 4.
“We have advocated fervently that there is a need for states to create state police services, just as you have the federal police, but with defined jurisdictions and operational parameters.
“We think that this is overdue and there is no better time for that than now, given the fragilities we have in our various communities.
“The state police will be a truly welcome development in our constitution. We also believe that since the South East is the only zone with five states in the country, this should be corrected during this process of amendment,” Mbah said.
He added that the idea of rotational presidency was important too.
According to him, we think that will give the South East and every other region a chance at the presidency.
“These are areas we believe are amendable and we will be presenting our position formally in the hearing on Friday and subsequent days,” he said.
Earlier, the Senate Deputy Chief Whip and leader of the delegation, Sen. Onyekachi Nwebonyi, said the committee was in the state to get the inputs of the people of the South-East into the constitution amendment process.
“It goes without saying that the 1999 constitution has received a lot of criticism from Nigerians, including that it is the product of military dictatorship.
“Nigerians also believed that the constitution does not represent the interests of all the segments that make up Nigeria. As a result of these criticisms. There is a need to alter the constitution from time to time.
“We pray that this engagement will afford us the people of the South East the opportunity to right some wrongs as a result of the position of the 1999 constitution.
“People of South East are crying foul that we are being marginalised in so many areas, particularly as it relates to the number of states, juxtaposing the same with other geopolitical zones of Nigeria,” Nwebonyi said.
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