The Senate, Sunday, cleared air on the 20 new states said to be proposed by Senate Committee on the Constitutional Review Committee whose mandate is to create states too.
The Nation had published on Saturday, August 7 while Straightnews published Sunday, August 8 that the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review Committee has recommended the creation of more 20 states in the country as the agitation is about to enter a new phase.
According to the newspapers, the committee’s decision, according to the Nation, was reached after considering various factors including the ability of civilian administration to create states.
It quoted an undisclosed source that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may soon conduct a referendum for the creation of the new states in Nigeria in line with the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
However, the Senate has debunked reports that the lawmakers have proposed the creation of 20 more states, saying the upper chamber was “grossly” misrepresented.”
Senate spokesman Ajibola Basiru in a statement on Sunday said the report is a misunderstanding of the decision reached by the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 constitution.
“The report is a gross misrepresentation of the decision of the committee on the request for creation of more states,” the Senate statement maintained.
“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.”
According to the lawmaker representing Osun Central, Section 8 of the Nigerian Constitution clearly stipulates the procedures for the creation of additional states.
“In view of the above, the Senate Committee is not in a position to propose creation of any state as reported,” he added.
“Rather the committee decided to refer the requests received to Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure compliance with section 8 of the Constitution by conducting referendum in the areas if the requests supported by at least two-thirds majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new State) in the Senate, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly in the area.”
Several reports had suggested that the Senate told the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a referendum for the creation of the new states.
The Senate purportedly reached the decision to respect “the genuine desire of Nigerians.”
