By Passman Akpos
Bayelsa State has called for the creation of 25 additional local government areas to increase the number of councils in the state from eight to 33.
The request was made by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Biriyai Dambo (SAN), at a public hearing of the House of Representatives’ Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, held on Saturday at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Banquet Hall, Yenagoa.
The hearing, which featured stakeholders from Bayelsa, Delta and Edo states, formed part of the South-South Centre A zonal consultation on the constitutional amendment exercise.
Dambo hinged Bayelsa’s demand on the fact that the current eight LGAs are overstretched, with some hosting over 150 communities.
He argued that the state has both the administrative structure and resources to fund the proposed new councils.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Bayelsa State Governor, Daniel Alabrah, noted that the state also made strong submissions on the need to review the structure of the local government system, ensure local government autonomy, and reform the exclusive and concurrent legislative lists.
Bayelsa further advocated far-reaching constitutional changes, including electoral reforms to enhance the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission, as well as judicial reforms to improve justice delivery.
The state also called for a restructured federation built on the principle of fiscal federalism. It proposed that federating units should have full control over natural resources located onshore and offshore within their boundaries, remitting 40 per cent of generated revenue to the Federal Government and retaining 60 per cent.
On security, the state reiterated its support for the creation of state police, insisting that Nigeria was ripe for decentralised policing in line with the tenets of true federalism.
“State police will strengthen the capacity of states to fight crime and provide adequate security,” the state asserted, adding that “the agitation for state police is in the spirit of true federalism.”
Speaking earlier, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, described the constitutional review as a timely exercise aimed at aligning the legal framework of the country with the current realities and expectations of its people.
According to him, Bayelsa is committed to the emergence of a “truly federal system and structure that is genuinely just, equitable, responsive, and demonstrably dedicated to the holistic development of not just the state or the Niger Delta region but also the Nigerian federation.”
He stressed the importance of correcting “historical injustices related to the inequitable allocation of resources, alongside the glaring disparities in the creation and distribution of local government areas.”
The Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, was represented at the event by his deputy, Sir Monday Onyeme, while the Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, was represented by the Attorney General, Mr Samson Osagie.
Both governors expressed their support for the Constitution review process, which they said offered an opportunity to address the flaws and fill the gaps in the current 1999 Constitution. They described the current Constitution as a “very controversial document” in need of urgent overhaul.
Chairman of the South-South Centre A and Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, who presided over the session, assured that all proposals would be thoroughly scrutinised by the Constitution Review Committee before presentation to the House.
“The stakeholders’ engagement is aimed at having a more inclusive democratic governance,” Ihonvbere said.
The public hearing was well-attended, with dignitaries including the wife of the Bayelsa governor, Dr Gloria Diri; the state deputy governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo; and members of the House of Representatives from Bayelsa – Fred Agbedi (Sagbama/Ekeremor), Marie Ebikake (Nembe/Brass), Dr Mitema Obordor (Ogbia), and Rodney Ambaiowei (Southern Ijaw).
Others included the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere; the Delta State House of Assembly Speaker, Emomotimi Guwor; the Amanyanabo of Twon-Brass, King Alfred Diete-Spiff; the chairman of the Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers, King Bubaraye Dakolo; and other traditional rulers from Bayelsa, Delta, and Edo states.
