The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) says its operatives have arrested one Rabiu Aliyu Salisu for allegedly defrauding Deborah Woods, a US national, of $597,000.

Speaking during the parade of suspects on Thursday, Muyiwa Adejobi, force spokesperson, said Salisu fraudulently used the identity of an American citizen to carry out the alleged fraud.

Adejobi said operatives of the cybercrime centre also arrested two suspects identified as Saidu Adam Usman and Yusuf Umar for allegedly creating fictitious accounts to commit N400 million fraud.

The force spokesperson said 82 suspects were arrested for internet fraud and other cyber related crimes in January 2025.

“Among these cases is the arrest of two individuals, Saidu Adam Usman ‘m’, and Yusuf Umar ‘m’, in connection with the creation and distribution of compromised financial accounts used to facilitate fraudulent transactions amounting to over four hundred million naira,” Adejobi said.

“The suspects created Moniepoint profiles using pre-registered SIM cards and email addresses and then distributed to local accomplices across different states for KYC verification, fraudulently obtaining bank verification numbers (BVNs) and KYC details from individuals.

“Upon completion of the KYC process, the suspects would change the passwords to secure them for their unknown foreign contractor.

“Another significant arrest is that of one Rabiu Aliyu Salisu AKA Rabo, involved in identity theft, computer-related fraud, and money laundering.

“The suspect had fraudulently assumed the identity of an American citizen, presenting himself as Matthew Ramsey, and defrauded one Deborah Woods, an American national, of $597,000.

“Following a filed petition for criminal defamation, cyberstalking, cyberbullying, and falsehood, the force also secured the arrest of one Idowu Smart Emmanuel, who eventually admitted to his crimes and confessed that his allegations were false.”

Federal workers associations in the US have asked a federal high court in Washington to stop the Donald Trump administration from shutting down the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The lawsuit was filed by the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).

The workers hinge their suit on the argument that USAID is a creation of congress which cannot be dismantled by the executive branch of government.

USAID is the world’s foremost development agency responsible for billions of dollars in US aid projects across the globe. Its scope of operations include healthcare, disaster relief, nutrition, and sex education.

Trump and Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO and head of the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), have targeted USAID as part of a wide ranging move to shrink the federal workforce and save taxpayer funds.

On February 5, USAID announced that it was placing all directly-hired staff globally on administrative leave after DOGE staffers forcefully gained access to its headquarters and database.

The agency also said personnel posted overseas would be recalled within 30 days.

On Thursday, the Trump administration presented a plan to dismantle USAID — which would see the agency reduced to 300 staff from 10,000.

Democrats in congress have described the administration’s moves as unconstitutional.

In their suit, the workers are asking the court to compel the Trump administration to reopen USAID buildings, return employees to work and restore funding.

They said government officials “failed to acknowledge the catastrophic consequences of their actions, both as they pertain to American workers, the lives of millions around the world, and to US national interests”.

Trump intends to effectively dismantle USAID and move the organisation’s operations to the State Department.

Marco Rubio, US secretary of state, said USAID must align its programmes with policies of the Trump administration to move forward.

“The United States is not walking away from foreign aid. It’s not,” Rubio said on Wednesday during a visit to Guatemala.

“We’re going to continue to provide foreign aid and to be involved in programmes, but it has to be programmes that we can defend.

“It has to be programmes that we can explain. It has to be programmes that we can justify. Otherwise, we do endanger foreign aid.”

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has arrested Adam Imam Yusuf, a Deputy Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Kogi State, over the alleged diversion of more than N3 billion.

Yusuf, who had been at large until now, was taken into custody from his residence in Gwagwalada, Abuja, and is set to face prosecution.

ICPC investigations revealed that the former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin (rtd.), allegedly orchestrated the fraud through Yusuf and former Brigadier General Ishaya Bauka Gangum (rtd.).

The alleged scheme reportedly involved the diversion of public funds using 92 fictitious companies that were not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

An investigation by the ICPC traced these funds to Lahab Integrated, Gate Coast Properties, and other affiliated companies, leading to the acquisition of over 18 properties, including filling stations.

Four of these properties have been forfeited to the government so far, while legal proceedings continue regarding the remaining assets.

The ICPC is also intensifying efforts to apprehend other suspects who remain at large

he Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, has announced its readiness to introduce a contactless passport application system in some European countries to ease the burden of passport acquisition and renewal for Nigerians residing in those countries.

A statement issued in Abuja by the Service Public Relations Officer, SPRO, Mr Akinsola Akinlabi, quoted the NIS Comptroller General, Kemi Nandap, as saying that the contactless passport application system would be introduced in Europe on February 7.

Nandap stated that Nigerians in the United Kingdom, UK, and Ireland would be the first beneficiaries in Europe. It would be recalled that the service launched the contactless passport application system in Canada on November 5, 2024.

She added that the rollout in Europe marked the second phase of the service’s initiative for Nigerians in the diaspora.

“For emphasis, the contactless passport application, which is currently available on Google Play Store (NIS Mobile), is designed to allow Nigerians to renew their passports without visiting any passport center for biometric enrolment,” she said.

The NIS Comptroller General reiterated the service’s commitment to innovative and efficient service delivery to Nigerians worldwide

Erstwhile presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi, has said that there is no corresponding breakdown of expenditures to justify the increase in the 2025 national budget.

The statement comes after President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, increased the appropriation bill for the 2025 fiscal year from N49.7 trillion to N54.2 trillion.

DAILY POST reported that Tinubu announced the increment in separate letters, which he forwarded to both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Reacting to the development, Obi said that Nigerians need to know how the resources generated are being allocated for the sake of transparency and accountability.

This, he said, was to ensure that they were judiciously spent on the country’s development and the well-being of the people.

In a statement issued on Friday via his X handle, the former Anambra state Governor said Nigerians were still waiting for a detailed account of the execution and expenditures of the Renewed Hope budget passed in December 2023.

Obi further called on the National Assembly to seize this opportunity to obtain and make public the full details of the 2024 budget.

He said: “Yesterday, I read about the increase in the Budget of Restoration to N54 trillion due to increased revenue.

“While the sources of this revenue were detailed, there is no corresponding breakdown of expenditures to justify the increase. For transparency and accountability sake Nigerians need to know how the resources generated from them are being allocated to ensure that they are judiciously spent on the country’s development and the well-being of the people.

“Such expenditures should be directed toward critical areas of development; education, healthcare, security, and poverty alleviation.

“Furthermore, Nigerians are still waiting for a detailed account of the execution and expenditures of the Renewed Hope budget passed in December 2023 to ensure that it has been properly utilized for the country’s future development and the well-being of its citizens.

“I call on the National Assembly to seize this opportunity to obtain and make public the full details of the 2024 budget of Renewed Hope budget.

“Transparency in this regard is crucial for ensuring accountability, learning from past budgets, and making informed decisions for the nation’s progress.

“As we work towards passing the Budget of Restoration for 2025, let us uphold openness, accountability, and the welfare of the Nigerian people. We owe it to ourselves, our children, and the future of our great nation. -PO”

A former Governor of Ekiti State, John Fayemi, has apologised to the Nigerian people over the failures of the All Progressives Congress, APC, over the years.

Fayemi, the immediate past governor of Ekiti state said the APC has not done enough and has not been able to achieve “everything we promised” the nation.

The APC chieftain, who briefly served as a minister under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, stated this on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday.

According to him, those who see themselves in leadership positions, such as himself, should do better to move the country to a better place.

“Oh, clearly, we all have reasons…we must apologize to the Nigerian people. We have not succeeded in achieving everything we promised to the Nigerian people.

“And that’s not just because we were incompetent, but because there were other structural impediments that have made things more difficult for us.

“But clearly we haven’t done enough to make life abundant for the Nigerian people, and for that, I clearly would not hesitate to apologize for that. We can do a lot more…”

The All Progressives Congress came into power in 2015 with ex-President Buhari defeating the incumbent Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, government led by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Many Nigerians believe that things have changed for the worse for them since the almost 10 years of the APC administration.

Buhari handed over to his party man and former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu in May 2023.

Tinubu removed fuel subsidy on the very day of his swearing in, an action that ultimately worsened the situation in the country, throwing millions of Nigerians into abject poverty.

The 15 percent ports tariff increase announced by the Nigerian Ports Authority on Thursday has sparked a fresh price hike nationwide.

DAILY POST reports that on Thursday, the Managing Director of NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, at an event in Lagos, announced a 15 percent port tariff increase.

He said, “This belated tariff review, borne out of necessity, constitutes a critical success factor in Nigeria’s quest to win back cargo handling business and its accompanying benefits, including job opportunities it had lost to its maritime neighbours.”

However, stakeholders in the sector said the tariff increase burden would be passed to goods consumed by Nigerians.

National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Mr. Ukochukwu Nnadi, said the 15 percent hike in ports tariff would lead to a rise in the cost of doing business nationwide.

“Definitely it will add to the cost of doing business because every kobo added to doing any particular thing, no matter what the thing is, will be passed to the customers, and the customers in this case are the stakeholders,” he stated.

This comes as Nigerians currently battle with high headline and food inflation rates, which stood at 34.80 percent and 39.93 percent, respectively.

Consequently, the latest NPA tariff is expected to trigger a further inflation spike in Africa’s most populous country, already faced with economic hardship.

McDonald Okpara, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Leuven Empire Hotel in the Ejigbo area of Lagos, has confessed to sodomising a 16-year-old secondary school boy.

Okpara was recently arrested by operatives of the Zone 2 police command in Lagos over alleged sodomy with two secondary school boys.

TheCable understands that the mother of one of the boys reported the case to the Isheri-Osun police division.

Speaking in a video released by TVC News, Okpara admitted that he had anal sex with the boy but denied taking him to a shrine or using his picture for diabolical purposes.

“I swear with my life that it is only sex that I had with him, and I never used him for money ritual,” he said.

“I swear in the name of my late parents and children.

“I’m telling the truth. Between me and God, it was only sex. I didn’t take the boy to any shrine or to a ritualist. I didn’t do that; I swear to God.”

When asked where he sodomised the boy, Okpara said it was at his residence and not the hotel.

The video shows that the hotelier was being questioned by a police officer after he was arrested.

The naira, Nigeria’s local currency, appreciated to N1,550 per dollar at the parallel section of the foreign exchange (FX) market on Thursday. 

The latest record marks its strongest performance since July 9, 2024, when it traded at N1,540 to the greenback.

On Thursday, currency traders in Lagos, also known as bureau de change (BDCs) operators, quoted the buying rate of the dollar at N1,580 and the selling price at N1,550 — leaving a profit margin of N30.

TheCable observed that the naira started the month on a positive note, recording marginal appreciation against the dollar.

The FX rate was N1,603/$ on February 3, then fell to N1,593 on February 4, and N1,580 on February 5.

Compared to the N1,627/$ rate on January 30, the latest FX rate represents a 4.73 percent appreciation.

On the contrary, at the official section of the FX market, the local currency depreciated by 0.46 percent to N1,500/$ on Thursday — from N1,493/$ traded on January 30.

According to FMDQ Exchange, a platform that oversees official FX trading in Nigeria, the greenback exchanged for as high as N1,504 and as low as N1,497 during trading hours.

As a result, the gap between the black market and the official window as of Thursday is now N50.

On December 20, 2024, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directed the BDCs to purchase FX from banks from December 19, 2024, to January 30, 2025.

However, CBN had extended the timeframe to May 30.

The financial regulator on February 6, introduced new regulations limiting BDC operators to purchasing a maximum of $25,000 per week from a single bank.

CBN mandated that BDCs must select a bank to procure their weekly FX allocation.

The House of Representatives Constitution Review Committee’s proposed creation of 31 additional states besides the country’s 36 existing states has sparked widespread reactions from prominent Nigerians and groups across the country.

The proposal was contained in a letter to the House of Representatives read during Thursday’s plenary by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session in the absence of the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas.

However, the proposal was rejected by the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, and its northern counterpart, the Arewa Consultative Forum, which described it as ridiculous.

The committee, chaired by Kalu, proposed an additional six new states in the North-Central, four in the North-East, five in the North-West, five in the South-South, and seven in the South-West.

The states being considered include Okun, Okura and Confluence from Kogi; Benue Ala and Apa from Benue; FCT State; Amana from Adamawa; Katagum from Bauchi; Savannah from Borno; Muri from Taraba; New Kaduna and Gujarat from Kaduna State; Tiga and Ari from Kano; Kainji from Kebbi; Etiti and Orashi as the sixth states in the South-East; Adada from Enugu; and Orlu and Aba.

Others are Ogoja from Cross River, Warri from Delta, Ori and Obolo from Rivers, Torumbe from Ondo, Ibadan from Oyo, Lagoon from Lagos, and Ogun, Ijebu from Ogun, and Oke Ogun/Ijesha from Oyo/Ogun/Osun States.

The letter read in part, “The Committee proposes the creation of 31 new states.  As amended, this section outlines specific requirements that must be fulfilled to initiate the process of state creation, which include the following:

 “New state and boundaries; An act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new state shall only be passed if it requires support by at least the third majority of members.

‘’The House of Representatives, the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and the Local Government Council in respect of the area is received by the National Assembly.

“Local government advocates for the creation of additional local government areas are only reminded that section 8 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, applies to this process.

“Specifically, in accordance with section 8 (3) of the Constitution, the outcome of the votes of the State Houses of Assembly in the referendum must be forwarded to the National Assembly for fulfilment of state demands.

“Proposals shall be resubmitted in strict adherence to the stipulations. Submit three hard copies of the full proposal of the memoranda to the Secretariat of the Committee in Room H331, House of Representatives, White House, National Assembly Complex, and Abuja.

“Sub-copies must also be sent electronically to the committee’s email address at info.hccr.gov.nj. For further information or contact, please contact the Committee Clerk at 08069-232381.

“The committee remains committed to supporting the implementing efforts that align with the Constitutional provisions and would only consider proposals that comply with the stipulated guidelines. This is coming from the Clerk of the Committee on Constitutional Review.’’

Taking a dim view of the bill, the National Organising Secretary of Afenifere, Abagun Kole Omololu, explained that the proposed state creation negated Afenifere’s demand for true federalism.

He said, “The recent proposal by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review to create 31 new states does not align with Afenifere’s long-standing demand for true federalism.

“Instead of addressing the core structural issues plaguing Nigeria, this initiative appears to be a mere political exercise that will further weaken governance and deepen economic inefficiencies.’’

Afenifere has consistently advocated genuine fiscal federalism, similar to what Nigeria’s founding fathers agreed upon before independence.

Omololu noted, “The creation of more states without a viable economic foundation will only compound the financial burden on the nation, as many existing states are already struggling to generate sufficient Internally Generated Revenue and rely heavily on federal allocations to survive.

‘’Turning every local government into a state is not the solution to Nigeria’s governance challenges. The real issue is not the number of states but the dysfunctional federal structure that has concentrated power at the centre, stifling regional development.’’

Instead of proliferating states that may later be unviable, Afenifere urged the National Assembly to focus on constitutional reforms that would devolve power, return resource control to the regions, and grant states the autonomy to develop at their own pace.

“Nigeria needs a system where states or regions control their resources and contribute an agreed percentage to the federal government, just as it was during the First Republic. This is the only path to sustainable development, not the reckless creation of more administrative units.

“Afenifere rejects this proposal and calls on well-meaning Nigerians to resist attempts to distract from the real conversation—restructuring and true federalism,” Omololu declared.

The Arewa Consultative Forum similarly expressed strong opposition to the proposed creation of 31 new states, describing the idea as unnecessary.

The National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Prof Tukur Muhammad-Baba, stated that the forum was not in support of the proposed creation of new states, citing the country’s complexity and the potential for creating more problems.

According to him, the more states created, the more demands that will emerge, leading to more acrimonies.

He questioned the economic viability of the existing 36 states, highlighting the administrative burdens and overhead costs associated with governorship and civil service.

The ACF spokesperson, who spoke to The PUNCH in Kaduna on Thursday, emphasised that creating new states would be too expensive and unnecessary, and would only provide opportunities for the elite to assume leadership positions without necessarily improving the economic viability of the states.

He said, “We have not seen the details of the proposed states, but it’s ridiculous. How long are we going to be creating states and creating problems in this country?

“How many of the 36 states are viable economically? How many of the states can carry the administrative burdens of governorship and all it takes – the civil service and the amount of expenditure on overhead?

“Honestly, I don’t think the creation of states is our priority because it’s too expensive and unnecessary, and there is no way it will stop. It’s opening up room for more demands and more acrimony.”

Instead of creating new states, he advised the government to focus on addressing the social and economic challenges facing the people.

“We hope that more rational heads will prevail over the issue, but right now, honestly, it’s not the priority; affecting the lives, and the social-economic standing of the people is a better objective to pursue.

“Creation of state as we have seen will not solve our problems. It will give some elites a chance to assume leadership positions with all the perks that are attached to the office, but honestly, we don’t think economically, they will be viable,” Muhammad-Baba said.

But the National President of the Middle Belt Forum, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, endorsed the proposal for additional states. 

Speaking with The PUNCH in Jos on Thursday, Pogu described the proposal as a welcome development that addresses the country’s long-standing issues of equity and governance.

As a proponent of the Savannah state, Pogu emphasized that the MBF supports the proposal, citing the need for a more inclusive and representative system of government.

“The challenge of Nigeria requires a lot of tinkering to get it right. There has been no equity in the whole process of governing Nigeria”, he said

Pogu highlighted the example of Southern Borno, which has never produced a governor, with the position always being held by either Northern or Central Borno.

He argued that the proposed creation of new states would help address the plurality of Nigeria and promote a more equitable distribution of power and resources.

The MBF has long advocated for greater autonomy and representation for the region’s diverse ethnic groups

The proposed creation of new states is seen as a significant step towards addressing the historical injustices and imbalances in the country’s governance structure.

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide declared that the South-East should be allocated more states to address ‘’the wrongs that had been done to the region on state creation.’’

Ohanaeze’s National Publicity Secretary, Dr Ezechi Chukwu,  stated, “It is unfortunate that such a bill is also aimed at suppressing the  South-East as usual. It is completely unacceptable that Southeast should be appropriated only five states.

‘’South-East, all these while, is the only zone in the Federal Republic of Nigeria that has the least number of states irrespective of our population and our contributions both economically and infrastructural development of the nation.

“So, giving southeast such a small number of five states in this bill when others that already have advantages orchestrated by successive governments before now is quite unacceptable and unfortunately, it is above all antithetical to the commonwealth of the South-Easterners and the so-called equity we are preaching in the country.”

He added, “South-East deserves more states more than any other zone in the country because South-East is the only zone that has been short-changed over the years by successive governments. So, if justice and equity should prevail southeast must be given the highest number of states.’’

“So, if the Federal Government fails to correct the wrongs that had been done to the South-East over the years, this is the time to at least give this equation some terms of balance by appropriating more number states to the South-East to make up with the other geopolitical zones.”

The Pan-Niger Delta Forum observed that the creation of more states could be meaningful if all the geo-political zones in the country have equal states as agreed in the last constitutional conference.

The spokesman for PANDEF, Christopher Ominimini, however, queried the viability of new states, pointing out that states should be created based on self-sustainability.

If the creation of more states became necessary, he argued it should be done equally across the board to even with the North-West, which has seven states.

Anything short of that, he noted, would be a perpetuation of the injustice in the country.

He said a situation where more states would be created to depend on the oil and gas from the Niger Delta region, while other states with mineral resources are allowed to exploit theirs is not the way to go.

He stated, “ Well,  it  is  the  right  of  the people  to call for the creation of states.  However,  the  most important  thing is  that  in the  last  constitutional  conference, it was  agreed  that  all the  geopolitical zones  should  have  seven states  each  as  it is  in the  North-West.

“So,  the  South -East  should  have  additional  two states  so  that  it  would  be  seven  states. The  South- West  should  have  additional  states  to  make  it  seven  states.

He added, “But the question we want to ask is ‘will the states be viable?’ Do  they have the means  of  survival if  the vision  of  our  forefathers  are  kept  to?  Because  the  vision  of  our  forefathers who  fought  for  the  independence  of  this  country is  that  the  various  states  should  control  their  resources  and  pay  tax  to  the centre.”

Ex- Senators condemn move

A former Ambassador to Kuwait, Senator Haruna Garba, described the Reps proposal as “unbelievable.”

Garba, who represented Gombe North in the Senate, said, “The number is unbelievable, how can you talk about 30 more states. What are we turning ourselves into? What kind of democracy are we talking about? The number is too much. The number is unacceptable.”

He added, “Can we afford the paraphernalia of 31 more states? Where do we get the resources to take care of 67 states? What we should do is to give every zone one more each to amount to 42 more states, 67 is too much, we are not serious.”

Also, a former Senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Nicholas Tofowomo, condemned the proposal of the Reps.

Tofowomo, who was in the Senate between 2019 and 2023, described the proposal of the lawmakers as useless, saying the country should focus more on the development of local government areas, rather than states creation. He added that many of the present states were not economically viable.

He said, “The viability of states in Nigeria should be a pressing concern to the lawmakers, not creation of states. Currently, many states rely heavily on federal allocations, which raise questions about their economic independence. There is the need to reform local governments, which are closest to the people, rather than creating more states.

“In Nigeria, there are 774 local governments, which are struggling to deliver basic services. The 1976 Local Government Reforms aimed to the “basket of Nigeria” due to their rich agricultural land. However, even these states face challenges in terms of infrastructure and economic development. Rather than creating more states, the focus addresses these challenges, but more needs to be done.”

“Some states, like Benue, have been dubbed should be on strengthening local governments and giving them more responsibilities, especially in agriculture.

“Ultimately, Nigeria needs to rethink its approach to governance and economic development. By empowering local governments and promoting agricultural production, the country can move towards a more sustainable and equitable future.”

Ex-Reps kick

In the same vein, a former House of Representatives member from Anambra, Barth Nnanna, kicked against the proposed additional 31 states, saying it would be unmanageable, cumbersome and chaotic to handle.

Nnanna, who represented Ogbaru Federal Constituency between 1999 and 2003, added that “even from the proposal, the South-East is shortchanged with a shortfall of four states compared to North-West and South-West.”

He said what Nigeria needed now was not additional states but a return to regional system of government with federating components making up the state.

He said, “We look at the proposal and we can say that proposing additional 31 states to join the already existing 36 states will be too unwieldy to manage. Most of the existing 36 states are not viable and can’t stand on their own with the exception of three states, every other states depend on the handout from Abuja for survival and now they are proposing additional 31 states.

“What we had expected them to do is to first balance the states of the geopolitical regions. For instance, like the South-East that has five states should be giving additional states to balance the equation.

“Even with the proposal, it means South-East will given additional five states totalling 10 states. It means the region will be trailing North-West and South-West which may likely have 14 states each. You can see it is not balanced and there is no equity in the whole thing.

“Anyway, it is still a proposal; it will still be subjected to public scrutiny and acceptance. When it comes to that stage, the people will either accept it or reject it. But the truth is Nigeria doesn’t need additional states at the moment.”

Another former member of the House of Representatives, Ogbona Nwuke, has said Governors may not support the creation of additional states.

Nwuke, who represented Etche-Omuma Federal Constituency of Rivers State in the Green Chamber, also questioned the viability of the proposed states.

“It is very clear that state creation will not be possible without the support of the governors. And the way it stands state governors may not back state creation.

“Anyway, as we speak, not all states appear to be viable. And to talk about that number of states being created, if that is the will of the people across the country, then one will perhaps say there is nothing wrong with that. But let me note that state creation has never been handled by any civilian administration in Nigeria

“And previous attempts to create states have also not been successful. So, it will be nice to see what stakeholders will say when the issue of states creation is tabled before them.

“But looking at history, most states created in the country were by fiat by the military and none has been created by any civilian administration.

Asked if he supports the creation of more states, he added, “We have six geo-political zones and we know that in the South East has been clamouring for one additional state.

“Now, in order to achieve a level of balance, which is missing at this time, we need to know the number of states because there has to be some balancing with Nigeria’s geographical expression.

“So, it is a critical matter, very serious matter which will demand more information, additional information on how the committee came to that number of states and then how those states will be distributed when it comes to Nigeria’s geo-political spread.”

Minister, commissioners react

A former Minister of Special Duties and Inter Governmental Affairs, Tanimu Turaki, said, “It’s insane. Where will they get the money to finance the take -off and running of the government paraphernalia in those states?”

Ex-Federal Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Lai Olurode, said creating more states without paying attention to governance would not solve Nigeria’s problem.

He said, “We can’t be bureaucratizing Nigeria development conundrum as if it is the way to go. If we continue to multiply the number of states we have in the country without paying serious attention to the issues of governance, creation of states will not resolve the problems.”

However, a former Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy in Bayelsa State, Markson Fefegha, described the move by the House of Representatives to create more states as good for development.

“It is a welcome development that will lead to more state capitals, local government areas and constituencies. Our people should work together to actualise it,” he stated.