Gwalabe Makes Case for New States, Says, If We Can Spend N17tn on a Road, We Can Create New States
The lawmaker representing Katagum Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Auwalu Gwalabe, has made a strong case for the creation of additional states in Nigeria, citing current government spending priorities as evidence of the country’s financial capacity to support such restructuring.
Speaking on Saturday in Gombe during the North-East zonal public hearing of the House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Gwalabe questioned the rationale behind government hesitancy on state creation when vast sums are allocated to singular infrastructure projects.
“If we can spend N17 trillion on one road from Lagos to Calabar, what stops us from creating states?” he asked reporters. “You are all aware that the government is spending N17 trillion on one road. If you are going to invest that much, do you know how many states could be created with such resources?”
He maintained that Nigeria’s economic base could support the creation of more states, especially in regions suffering from administrative imbalance and high population density. Gwalabe advocated for the creation of 12 additional states, stressing that such a move would address existing disparities in political representation and accelerate grassroots development.
“In Kano, one senator represents about 14 local governments, but in Bayelsa it’s maybe two or three. Likewise, Gombe State. By creating states, there will be a lot of development,” he stated.
Gwalabe, who has been a longstanding advocate for the creation of Katagum State out of the present Bauchi State, noted that the agitation began as far back as 1981. He attributed the prolonged delay to constitutional bottlenecks and a lack of political will at the executive level.
“During the military era, state creation was swift and driven by decree. In this democratic setting, it’s more complex, but that doesn’t mean it should be impossible. The will must be there,” he added.
His remarks come at a time when the National Assembly is considering wide-ranging amendments to the 1999 Constitution, including issues of federal structure, resource control, and state creation.
