David Mark, no to state creation; it’s not economical

on september 15, 2014 at 12:43pm
Senate President, Sen. David Mark
On June 27, 2011, we stated that creating
additional state is not economical because it will
increase the cost of governance in the country
without any increase in the revenue base of the
nation.
Unfortunately, the just-concluded National
Conference has recommended the creation of
additional 18 states.
This will bring the number of states in the country
to 54. Just last week, the Senate President said
he is committed to seeing through state creation.
Here is what I said then.
When on May 27 1967, General Yakubu Gowon
announced the 12-state structure for Nigeria, it
was to solve a perceived political problem
threatening the continued existence of Nigeria as
a single entity.
It was a political solution to the threat of
secession. Gowon was humble enough to point
out the economic consequences the nation was
faced with if the action was not taken. He had</blockquote>
said: “The consequence of these illegal sets has
been the increasing deterioration of the Nigerian
economy.
“It has also led to increasing loss of foreign
confidence in the ability of Nigerians to resolve
the present problems. This has been reflected in
the stoppage of the inflow of much badly needed
additional foreign investment, it has put a brake
on economic development so essential to the
well-being of the common man and the ordinary
citizen whose only desire is for peace and
stability to carry on his daily work.
“The main obstacle to future stability in this
country is the present structural imbalance in the
Nigerian federation. This is why the item in the
Political and Administrative Programme adopted
by the Supreme Military Council last month is the
creation of states as a basis for stability.”
The much desired unity, economic development
and inflow of foreign investment have continued
to elude the country several decades after the
first shot at state creation. Ever since then, the
politics of state creation has not taken into
account the ability of these states to sustain their
existence.
Of the 36 states in the country, only Lagos, Rivers
and perhaps Kano states, can through internally-
generated revenue pay their bills. Others have to
wait for the monthly federal allocation for them to
pay their bills.
The internally-generated revenue of the existing
states in the country cannot even pay the monthly
wage bill of teachers in the various states. Some
local governments are known to have generated
not more than one million naira in a year.
In the face of this, the Senate President is quoted
as saying that more states will be created in the
life of the seventh National Assembly. Senate
President, David Mark, was quoted last week to
have said that the National Assembly remained
committed to amending the 1999 Constitution to
give room for the creation of more states in
Nigeria.
Senator Mark, who gave the assurance in his
home town, Oturkpo, maintained that state
creation was a certainty because the National
Assembly was confident that the creation of more
states would enhance development and bring
government closer to the people.
It will appear that the Senate President is
oblivious of the cry of Nigerians against the high
cost of governance in the country that has robbed
the people of the much needed funds for
development. Creation of more states will further
raise the already high cost of governance in the
country.
When new states are created, the membership of
the National Assembly will increase by number.

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