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Senate President, David Mark, yesterday said that the
National Assembly would proceed with the creation of new states despite
criticisms mounting against the exercise.

Mr Mark told new state campaigners from Katsina State
on Thursday, that lawmakers will not bow to criticisms that the current
36 states be maintained, but will press on with the exercise to “meet
the yearnings and aspirations of the people.” He said despite the
condemnations, he finds the requests which have been made by several
groups “genuine, desirable and necessary to address some imbalances in
the present structures.”

“The more state we have,” he said, “the more there
will be healthy competition between and among states, which will
ultimately usher in meaningful development.” The new group, led by the
former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Masari, is
advocating the creation of Karaduwa State, out of the present Katsina
State.

The proposed area holds 11 local government councils
out of the state’s total 40, and according to Mr Masari, is endowed
with human and material resources, and would be economically and
politically viable. The area is also rich with agricultural and mineral
resources, he said.

Criticism

Critics have denounced the planned exercise which the
National Assembly has assured will be accommodated during the next
constitutional amendment.

They have urged the lawmakers to refuse the requests,
which currently total over 30, on the grounds that the new states will
compound Nigeria’s problems, since many of them would lack the capacity
to sustain themselves economically.

The lawmakers have also been accused of seeking to
set the record as the first legislature in the nation’s history to
create states.

Mr Masari admitted that the option of new states
“cannot” solve Nigeria’s problems, but said that “it is the shortest
way to solving them.” The Senate President, Mr Mark, said the National
Assembly will not back down on the exercise, and described the question
of self-sustainability as “untenable”. He said the true intent of the
exercise is to draw the people closer to the government, and
development.

“It will bring unity and harmony between and among
federating states,” he said. On the economic strength of the proposed
states, the Senate President said rather than condemning them, “we must
find out why they are not doing well.”