By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu said on Friday the deluge of requests for state creation may have emanated from the people’s desire to enjoy more dividends of democracy.
Kalu, who spoke in an interview in Abuja, also said that the parliament is not taking a position on the issue even though it is ultimately in the place of the Nigerian people to push their proposals through and take an informed decision on the contemporary issue of state creation.
The Deputy Speaker, who heads the House Committee on Constitution Review, however said that the House has 30 proposals for State creation before it for consideration.
But while reading the list of request at plenary on Thursday, Kalu read out a list of 32 new requests for States being considered with Lagoon from Lagos and Ogun appearing on the list.
The Deputy Speaker said: “We have received 30, not 31. I think, on that list, they repeated Ibadan State twice. It is 30 that we have received.
Even though the numbering on the document made available to newsmen had 31 States, a close observation revealed that New Kaduna state and Gurara state to be created out of the present Kaduna state appeared on the same line.
He said none of the proposals for new states before the House has met the constitutional requirements for state creation.
He urged the applicants to comply with the constitutional procedures outlined in Section 8, subsections 1 to 3 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), informing that the parliament is giving the applicants until March 5 to rectify the gaps in their applications.
To create a new state, the Constitution requires a two-third majority vote in the Senate, the House of Representatives, State Houses of Assembly and local governments.
According to him: “We are the peoples parliament. We are not taking any position on the issue of creation of States. We have heard a lot of people giving different narratives to the letter that was read. Let me clear the dust.
“During the Ninth Assembly, we received more requests for State creation and some of them came through private member bills. Some came from the memoranda we called for and in this Tenth Assembly, we have received 30, not 31. I think, on that list, they repeated Ibadan State twice. It is 30 that we have received.
“But having received that, in the last assembly, people did not know why their request for state creation did not go through. In this Tenth Assembly, we decided to let the people know that granted, we have received all the applications for new states to be created either through member bill or the memoranda, but not conceding that all of them are good enough to be created.
“There are constitutional procedures in section 8 subsection 1 to 3 on how this application should be made. As we speak, non of these 30 proposals have met the requirements of section 8 and that was why we decided to bring it to the notice of Nigerians that your application before us is ineffective.
“Therefore, you need to comply with section 8 so that when we don’t consider the State creation request, you will know where it emanated from. So, the notice to the public is that you have between now and March 5 to enable you cure the gaps in your application for state creation.
“And if you go to section 8, you will see two-third, the majority of the Senate, that of the House of Representatives, the State Houses of Assembly as well as the local government councils.
“So, let’s follow that procedure and then present these applications again. We are going to the Newspapers to place public announcements so that those who want new States to be created should follow the guidelines as laid down by the constitutional provisions.
“We are giving them one month which is about March 5 to cure the gaps in the applications. The applications as they are will not be able to fly because we are strict with complying with the dictates of the provisions of the constitution. They should fill in the gaps and bring it back before the March 5.
“There is no alternative to compliance with the provisions of the Constitution. The position of the Constitution is sacrosanct. It’s our grundnorm. If it says you have to follow certain procedures in line with the rule of law and observing its supremacy, you have to comply with the provision of the Constitution.
“Those who are desirous of State creation should comply with the procedures laid down in the constitution and bring it back. There is a window we have created which is one month. It is sufficient enough for people to cure the gaps in their applications and we will reconsider it.”
“I think it reflects the desire to enjoy the dividends of democracy. People want the dividends of democracy to trickle down the grassroots and they feel in their minds that the best approach is to have their own state.
“So, if you watch the space closely, you will see the President has been very intentional in creating development commissions across the country.
“Beyond the feeling of marginalization is a desire to have the dividends of democracy felt at the grassroots more than before and the instrument of state creation for some people is what they believe will be used as a tool to achieve that. That’s what many Nigerians believe.
“The more states you create, the more they will have access to dividends of democracy. Whether that is true or not. It is not for me to judge because you know I am a presiding officer and the chairman of the committee of the Constitution review and I can’t take a position.
“My position is to be the unbiased umpire who will listen to the desires of all Nigerians either through the bills presented to the parliament for constitutional amendment or the memoranda that we received from the public. So, when we do, we analyze and then take a position based on what the people want”.