Bankole Assures On State Creation
ABUJA, August 03, (THEWILL) - Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Dimeji Bankole has assured that the National Assembly would create new states in the country even as he promised the people of the Southern part of Katsina State that their demand for the creation of Karadua State will be given priority when the National Assembly starts considering the proposals on creation of states.
Bankole gave the assurance in Abuja when he played host to the Movement for the Creation of Karadua State led by former Speaker of the House, Honourable Aminu Bello Masari.
He said the creation of Karadua State was already a settled matter and congratulated the people of southern Katsina in advance for the having their agitations successful.
"What can I say? Congratulations! I want to explain that the creation of Karadua State in sha Allahu will come to stay. And as you would say in the north, shekina!
Earlier, leader of the delegation, Hon. Masari who also presented the memorandum to Bankole said the proposed state was economically viable and since colonial days has been part of the ‘food basket of the nation’.
He stated that the proposed state has an estimated population of 1.9 million with an area of 9, 280 square kilometers and has the potentials of being economically self-sustaining.
"We are here on behalf of the people of Southern Katsina for the creation of Karadua State. It is economically viable and will be socially and economically self-sustaining when it is created," Masari assured.
According to Masari, the agitation for the creation of Karadua State has been on since the regime of late Gen. Sani Abacha and was genuine with the headquarters at Funtua. He explained that the proposed state derived its name from a river. ‘Karadua is a river and we are deriving our name and identity from it," he said.
Also speaking at the occasion, a member of the House from Zamfara, Hon. Garba Shehu Matazu described the Movement for the Creation of Karadua State as the largest ever to have visited Speaker Bankole adding that the demand was genuine and not political.
Some of the dignitaries on the delegation of the Movement for the Creation of Karadua State include former Senate Leader, Senator M.T. Liman; Chairman of Bullet Construction Ltd, Alhaji Ismaila Isa Funtua; Senator Abu Ibrahim, Alhaji Bala Abdullahi and two former deputy governors of the state.