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The demand for the establishment of five new states, the recognition of traditional rulers in the constitution, the creation of more local governments, and the formal inclusion of the Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) established by the Lagos State government in 2003 into the constitution emerged as key issues for the South-West region amidst ongoing efforts to amend the 1999 constitution.
This was highlighted during the South-West Zonal Public Hearing on constitutional amendment bills held in Lagos on Friday.
Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barawu, represented by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, stated, “The requests from the South-West include proposals for Ijebu State from Ogun State, a Coastal State from Ondo, Igbomina State encompassing Osun, Ekiti, and Kwara, and both Ibadan and New Oyo States from Oyo State with Oyo as the capital.”
Other proposals included recognizing the created LCDAs as local governments, transferring Orile Oko from Remo North Local Government to Obafemi-Owode, adjusting the boundary of Isheri Olofin Mole between Lagos and Ogun State, and renaming Irewole Local Government in Osun State to Ikire.
Barawu emphasized the Senate's commitment to supporting constitutional roles for traditional rulers and reserving seats for women in both national and state assemblies.
He expressed that past attempts to include these roles in the constitution had failed due to insufficient support from 2/3 of the state House of Assemblies, a constitutional requirement for amendments.
He noted that during the last amendment process in the 9th Senate, significant progress was made before stalling at the assembly approval stage.
He urged traditional rulers to advocate more vigorously for their constitutional roles, stressing the importance of engaging with state governors and the Conference of Speakers.
Speaking on behalf of traditional rulers, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, conveyed that their pursuit of constitutional roles is not about overshadowing the government but rather about enhancing collaborative governance and leadership quality for the populace. Supported by other eminent traditional rulers, they called for the ongoing constitutional review to address and solidify the recognition of traditional institutions to improve governance in Nigeria.
The Ooni pointed out the existing contributions of traditional rulers to national security, conflict resolution, and sociocultural development, asserting that constitutional support would augment these efforts.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by Deputy Governor Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, commended the forum as a platform for the South-West citizens to voice their perspectives in the constitutional review.
He underscored the injustice in failing to recognize the 37 LCDAs formed in 2003 due to the state's growing population, pointing out that Alimosho's sizable population warrants more local governance representation, in contrast to other states with fewer local governments despite similar or greater populations.
In the public hearing, Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye, characterized the constitutional review as overdue. He acknowledged the concerns regarding Local Government autonomy, legislative autonomy, and traditional rulers’ constitutional roles, assuring that their legislature would strive to support amendments in these areas once presented.
Former Ogun State governor and current Senator Otunba Gbenga Daniel advocated for the creation of Ijebu State, describing it as a necessary correction of historical injustices faced by the Ijebu people.
He highlighted that among all provinces established during the colonial period, only Ijebu Province remained without statehood. Daniel argued that Ijebu land is both resource-rich and populous, making it viable for development.
Additionally, he mentioned that the Remo community, though initially hesitant, is now in favor of the new state provided their identity is included, suggesting it be designated as Ijebu Remo State, similar to Akwa-Ibom State.
Other presentations were also made regarding the proposed creation of New Oyo State from Oyo, Ibadan State, Coastal State from Ondo, Igbomina State from Osun, Ekiti, and Kwara, as well as the reservation of seats for women in both national and state legislatures.
