The senator representing Enugu West and former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, on Saturday, said that the South-East needed an extra state because the region was shortchanged.
Ekweremadu said that an extra state would enable the South-East to “match with the rest of the country in terms of opportunities and National Assembly.”
He said, during a town hall meeting in Enugu State, that the South-East was shortchanged in the area of resource control, the Daily Post reports.
Ekweremadu noted that the region stood at a disadvantaged position in voting and resource distribution at the National Assembly.
“The number (in the National Assembly) is lopsided, because of the way the states were created.
“Right now, the South-East has just five states while others have six and seven. With the Senate, we have just 15 lawmakers, while some have 18 and some 21.
“So, when it comes to voting and resource distribution, we are shortchanged. If you go to the House of Representatives, it’s a similar thing.
“I believe that the fair thing to do is for the country to agree for us to have an extra state for the South-East. So, that will enable us to match with the rest of the country in terms of opportunities and National Assembly,” he said.
Punch