A bill was introduced in the House of Representatives during Tuesday’s plenary to create Etiti State in the South-East region. The bill, sponsored by five House members including Amobi Ogah, Miriam Onuoha, Kama Nkemkama, Chinwe Nnabuife, and Anayo Onwuegbu, aims to carve out a new state from parts of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states.
Etiti State, if established, will encompass 11 local government areas currently spanning these five states, with Lokpanta proposed as its capital. The bill proposes amendments to the 1999 constitution, specifically altering sections to replace “36” with “37” to accommodate the new state and inserting “Etiti” after Enugu in the list of states.
Furthermore, it seeks to reassign the 11 local government areas from their current states to Etiti State. These areas include Isuikwuato and Umu-Nneochi (Abia), Orumba North and Orumba South (Anambra), Ivo and Ohaozara (Ebonyi), Aninri, Awgu, and Oji River (Enugu), as well as Okigwe and Onuimo (Imo).
The introduction of this bill marks the initial step towards potentially adding a new state to Nigeria’s federation, reflecting ongoing discussions and considerations within the legislative process.
