New States: Bankole Lobbies For Re-Election Of Lawmakers

ABUJA, July 28, (THEWILL) - Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole today declared that if the present members of the House from areas agitating for the creation new states are not re-elected, the agitations would be in vain.

Bankole made the declaration to members of the Ibarapa Consultative Forum, agitators for the creation of Ibadan from the present Oyo State who were in National Assembly to press home their demand.

He told them that new members to the National Assembly do not command enough clout to get what their constituencies want easily. According to him, the demand for new states is so intense that if the current members are not returned all the areas seeking for new states do not stand any chance.

He warned those who want new states created for them to avoid the mistake of voting in new people because according to him, those who have experience would always be listened to and attended to before new members can get any attention.

"In the National Assembly, we have the issue of seniority and ranking to contend with so, do not make the mistake of sending new people here, if you do, well I am sorry because the result may not be palatable.

"The National Assembly as an institution is growing and it can only continue to grow through experience. What I am saying however is an advice which you have the choice to take or not to take, we are in this thing together and the job has just began", he stated.

"In seeking to carve out a new state from an existing one, stakeholders must consult widely and make sure that all those concerned were in agreement to such division so that splitting a state into two or three for the purpose of development would not eventually result to hatred for one another", he said.

Speaking further, Bankole assured Nigerians that as the National Assembly embark on the second leg of the amendment of the 1999 Constitution, state creation must be on the front burner for fairness and equity if not for any other thing.

Earlier in his presentation, the Chairman of the Ibarapa Consultative Forum, Asiwaju Moses Fagbohun the entire people of Ibarapa and those of the Ibadanland were in to total support of creation of another state from the present Oyo state to be known as Ibadan state.

He explained that Ibadan and Ibarapa people have been together since 1842 before the advent of colonial rule and there had been cooperation and understanding by both Ibadan and Ibarapa people.

"Some intra tribal wars were fought together and this cooperation was never threatened before the colonial rule was introduced in 1900", he added.