Bill for creation of Etiti State in South-East passes first reading in House of Reps

Joseph Irikefe

A bill seeking the creation of Etiti State in the South-East geo-political zone was read for the first time on the floor of the House of Representatives during plenary on Tuesday.

The bill sponsored by five members of the House comprising Amobi Ogah, Miriam Onuoha, Kama Nkemkama, Chinwe Nnabuife and Anayo Onwuegbu, seeks the proposed state to be created out of the present Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states.

When created, Etiti State will have 11 local government areas drawn from the five states with the capital to be located at Lokpanta.

The bill is seeking to alter three sections of the 1999 constitution, to delete the word 36 and replace it with 37 to accommodate the new state and to insert the word Etiti, immediately after Enugu in the list of states contained in the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

It also seeks to alter the listing of local government areas according to states and transfer the 11 local government areas from their current states to the new state.

The LGAs that will be affected if the state is created are 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).