Bill to create Etiti State in South East passes first reading

A Bill to alter the 1999 Constitution as amended to create additional state in the South East geopolitical zone called Etiti, has passed through first reading in the House of Representatives.

Rep. Amobi Ogah (Labour Party -Abia) and four others sponsored bill which was read by the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Dr. Yahaya Dan Zaria during plenary in Abuja in Tuesday.

The co-sponsors of the bill included Rep. Miriam Onuaha (All Progressives Congress -Imo), Rep. Kama Nkemkama, Rep. Chinwe Anabuife and Rep. Anayo Onwuegbu.

The proposed state will include communities in existing five States of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.

According to the bill, when created, the new state will have 11 Local Government Areas, drawn from the five States with headquarters at Lokpanta.

The bill seeks to alter three sections of the 1999 Constitution, to delete the word 36 State and replace it with the word 37.

This is to accommodate the new state and insert the word Etiti, immediately after Enugu in the list of States contained in the Constitution.

The bill also sought to alter the listing of Local Government according to States and transfer the 11 Local Government Areas from their current States to the new State.

The Local Government to be affected are Isuikwuato and Umu-Nneochi (Abia), Orumba North, Orumba South (Anambra), others are, Ivo and Ohaozara (Ebonyi), Aninri, Agwu and Oji River (Enugu) as well as Okigwe and Onuimo (Imo).

-9News Nigeria.