The National President of Association of Igbo Town Unions (ASITU), Chief Emeka Diwe, has rained praises on Dist.Sen Osita Izunaso, Senator representing Imo East Senatorial Zone (Orlu Zone) at the Senate, and his counterpart in the green chamber, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere Ikeagwuonu , member, representing Ideato North and South in the House of Representatives, for their efforts in ensuring that additional state is created for South East Zone, bringing the total number of states in the zone to six.
The ASITU boss said the effort by the Lawmakers to bring the number of states in the SouthEast zone to six through legislative instrument, is highly commendable and long over-due as the South East is the only zone in Nigeria with only five states.
He explained that the lopsided nature of the number of states in Nigeria against the South East, is one among the many obvious marginalization the people have suffered for years.
He said that among the six geo-political zones in Nigeria, North-West has seven states while North-East, North-Central, South-South and South-West all have Six states each except for South-East with only six states.
He called on the members of National Assembly to support the bills initiated by the Lawmakers and ensure it sails through the processes and become law.
The Igbo leader said the creation of additional state by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration will register it in the annals of Nigerian history as a solid achievement of his government.
It will be recalled that Sen. Izunaso and Hon. Ikenga had independently made it possible for the bill to be passed for the creation of Orlu State in their various chambers. The bill is said to have passed first reading.
