By Nkechinyere Ewa-Opkara
Honourable Chinedu Ogah, who represents the Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, has stated that the creation of additional local government areas (LGAs) in Ebonyi State will bring more benefits of democracy to the grassroots level.
Ogah, a member of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, spoke to journalists in Abakaliki about the progress of the amendment procedures weekend.
He noted that in Ebonyi State, Ikwo Local Government, which has 20 electoral wards, and Izzi Local Government, with about 15 wards, meet the criteria for the creation of additional council areas.
Ogah further explained that at his initiative, a bill for the creation of two new local governments in Ikwo and one in Izzi has passed both the first and second readings.
He expressed his determination to ensure the bill successfully reaches the third reading and remains hopeful that the president will assent to it.
“You’re asking about the impact the creation of a new local government will have on the people. One, it will deliver more dividends of democracy to the people, and I will do everything possible to make it a reality,” he stated.
In the National Assembly, there is a committee chaired by the Deputy Speaker on the Constitutional Review Amendment Committee, with the Deputy Chairman being the Majority Leader from Edo State. I, Ogah, represent Ebonyi on that committee.
“We have assessed the situation. The Southeast needs one more state to be on par with others. Our major challenge is that the leaders of the Southeast have not managed to secure a state for us. I remember that President Buhari urged them to reach a consensus on a location for a new state to achieve six per geopolitical zone, but they could not come to an agreement.
“As a member of the Constitutional Amendment Committee, I reviewed the local government creation proposals in Ebonyi State and found that Ikwo has 20 wards, the highest in the entire country. Other local governments have 10, 11, or at most 12 wards. Meanwhile, Izzi has around 15 wards and a significant population.
“I introduced a bill for the creation of two additional local governments in Ikwo—Ikwo North and Ikwo South—and one in Izzi, called Ebyia Local Government. The headquarters for Ebyia will be located in Nwofe, while Ikwo South will have its headquarters in Egwunwenu. The Ikwo North headquarters will be situated near the central areas of Enibichiri, Noyo, and Echara.
“These changes will enable the people of Ebonyi to access the benefits of democracy more effectively. We are not opposed to other groups forming committees for the creation of new local governments, but there is a procedural requirement for constitutional amendments. Only Ebyia, Ikwo North, and Ikwo South have met the criteria for the establishment of new local governments, and their proposals have passed the first and second readings.
“The next step is for the committee to conduct a referendum and collect signatures. They will seek input from the people on this request before it can be passed into law, after which it will be sent to the Senate for concurrent approval. Following that, it will be sent to the president for assent.
“We believe our president is a capable leader who understands the needs of the people. He will give his approval once the bill is passed. I will do everything in my power to make this a reality,” Ogah said.
