Former President of Nigerian Bar Association, Olisa Agbakoba, has faulted moves by the National Assembly to create more States in the country.
Recently in the National Assembly, bills seeking the creation of some States have been deliberated on and some have passed for second reading.
The human rights activist however disclosed that creating more States will only put more strain and pressure on the nation’s lean resources and finances.
He made his position known in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria last weekend.
According to the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the Federal lawmakers should collapse the existing state and return Nigeria to regionalism.
Agbakoba said the National Assembly should turn the 36 states into six or eight regions which would have leaders.
Agitation for additional state creation, he said, was a misplaced priority.
His words: “State creation at this present harsh economic will, no doubt, lead to an increase in the number of National Assembly members, ministers, local governments, and others, which would further increase the cost of governance in the country”
He stated that there are more existential problems confronting the country and needed to be addressed.
“This is coming at a time when most Nigerians are starving due to rise in food prices. Insurgents, bandits, and terrorists are abducting people for ransom in other states of the country.
“Therefore, the National Assembly should, instead, return the country to regionalism by collapsing the 36 states into six to eight regions or geopolitical zones, each of which will have a leader.
“We need to do away from state creation to regional system of government,” he added.
