Governor Otu Advocates Ogoja State Creation

By Sylvia Akpan, Government House Correspondent

Following the agitation for state creations from Cross River and other states, which has become top agenda at the House of Representatives Public Hearing on Constitutional Review in Calabar, Governor Bassey Otu has advocated for the creation of Ogoja State.

While the Ogoja State like others state creation has been trailed with controversy among political pundits and astrologers, Governor Bassey Otu during the South-South Zonal Public Hearing on the Constitution Review held in Calabar, said the exercise was both timely and historic even as he emphasized the need for a constitutional framework that responds to evolving political, social, and economic realities.

Otu represented by his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey noted that sovereignty rests with the people, describing the review process as a reaffirmation of the social contract between government and citizens.

He sued for greater inclusion of women and persons with disabilities in governance, and the establishment of state police as part of ongoing efforts to amend the 1999 Constitution.

Meanwhile, stakeholders seeking the creation of Ogoja State, argued that it is long overdue, considering that it is the only remaining province in the old South Eastern region, comprising the present South East and South South geo-political zones, without a state.

READ: New State Creation: Cross River, Rivers In Support, Akwa Ibom Divided

The LGAs targeting for Ogoja State creation include Ikom, Obubra, Etung, Boki (in central), Ogoja, Obudu, Bekwarra, Obanliku and Yala.

Some stakeholders from Northern senatorial district also made their intentions known at a town hall meeting held at the Ikom township stadium in Ikom on Sunday, where they joined Governor Otu advocating for it.

According to the Coordinator for the Creation of Ogoja State, Ikom Zone, CP Lawrence Alobi (rtd), averred that the town hall meeting was to consult and develop strategies toward the actualization of the creation of the state.

He tasked the National Assembly to place the voices and interests of the people at the center of the amendment process, stressing that governance must be inclusive and people-focused.