Skip to main content

UNIEC REJECTS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY’S APPROVAL FOR CREATION OF NEW STATES

 


PRESS RELEASE




UNIEC REJECTS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY’S APPROVAL FOR CREATION OF NEW STATES — Cites Injustices, Seeks Renaming Of North Central To Middle Belt 


LAGOS, NIGERIA — October 27, 2025:


The United Igbo Elders Congress Worldwide (UNIEC) has faulted and rejected the National Assembly’s approval for the creation of one new state in each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, describing the move as imbalanced, inequitable, and unjust to the South East region.


The decision to create six new states, reached at a two-day retreat in Lagos jointly chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, is being criticized by UNIEC as another missed opportunity to correct Nigeria’s long-standing structural inequities.


Under the approved arrangement, the South East — currently with five (5) states — would gain one additional state, making six (6) in total, while the North West would move from seven (7) to eight (8) states. UNIEC maintains that this outcome deepens regional disparity rather than promoting equity.


Speaking on behalf of the Congress, High Chief Ikechukwu Okwube (Udu Ego), Okigbo Nkpor, National Patron and Chairman of the UNIEC National Advisory Council, stated:

“This so-called approval only widens the gap between the most and least represented zones. The South East should not remain the least advantaged region after yet another constitutional review process.

True equity demands that the South East be brought at par with the North West and North East, not perpetually placed at the bottom rung of the federation.”


UNIEC Demands Renaming of North Central Zone


In addition to rejecting the new state creation formula, UNIEC called for the official renaming of the North Central Zone to “Middle Belt Zone”, arguing that the term “North Central” no longer reflects the region’s unique cultural and political identity.


“The Middle Belt has its own ethnic and historical identity distinct from the core North,” UNIEC stated.

“Recognizing this through proper nomenclature is essential to national inclusion and justice.”


Call to President Tinubu and the National Assembly. 


UNIEC therefore urged the leadership of the National Assembly to suspend the current arrangement and revisit the state creation process with fairness and balanced representation in mind.


The group also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and ensure that any constitutional amendment reflects true equity among Nigeria’s six zones.

“Nigeria cannot continue to pretend that equality exists when the very architecture of her federation is tilted against fairness,” the statement concluded.

“The South East deserves not charity, but justice; not pacification, but parity.”


Signed:

Ambassador Dr Obiora Odumah, Chairman, Board of Trustees.


H. E. Pastor Michael Obierika, Secretary, Board of Trustees.


High Chief Ikechukwu Okwube (Udu Ego) Okigbo Nkpor, Member, National Advisory Council. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“Alaba Rago Has Fallen: Igbo, Think Home Before It Is Too Late!”

  BEING A SPEECH DELIVERED BY H. E. PASTOR MICHAEL OBIERIKA AT A UNIEC SUMMIT Distinguished Elders, Respected Leaders, my brothers and sisters in the struggle for the survival and prosperity of Ndigbo—I speak to you this morning as a Concerned Elder Statesman.  Just a few days ago, the Lagos State Government sent in its bulldozers. And in the twinkling of an eye, Alaba Rago —was demolished, reduced to dust and silence. In case you do not know, Alaba Rago is that sprawling Hausa cattle market that had fed countless families, powered trade, and stood as a testimony to Northern enterprise in Lagos.  That, my people, is not just the fall of a market. It is a warning from history . A message written in bold letters, not only to the Hausa who owned that market, but especially to us, the Igbo—because we, more than any other people, have invested the sweat of our brow and the blood of our youth into Lagos. But let me ask us here today: if Alaba Rago could fall, what t...
Post a Comment
Read more

UNIEC Condemns Barbaric and Brutal Attack By Terrorists On Worshippers At Christ Apostolic Church

  Statement from the United Igbo Elders Congress Worldwide e United Igbo Elders Congress Worldwide condemns—unequivocally and in the strongest terms—the barbaric and brutal attack carried out by armed gunmen on worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Eruku, Kwara State, on the night of November 18, 2025. This horrific incident, in which innocent Christians gathered in a vigil were savagely attacked, is an affront to every principle of humanity, decency, and civilized society. Reports indicate that the attackers opened fire on worshippers, killing at least three congregants and abducting several others, including the pastor. This tragedy shakes the conscience, not only because of the loss of innocent lives, but also because of the chilling nature of the attack. How can it be said that murderers took their time slaughtering old men and women in cold blood—unchallenged? How can such unspeakable evil unfold in a supposedly civilized society without the immediate intervention of s...
Post a Comment
Read more

Asaba-Onitsha and Asaba-Illah-Ebu-Ubiaja Roads

Okolie Raises Alarm Over Collapsing Federal Roads in Delta State Calls on Presidency, FERMA, and Ministry of Works to Act Urgently By Our Reporter Asaba, Delta State – A Patron of the United Igbo Elders Congress Worldwide, (UNIEC) and member representing Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ngozi Okolie, has raised fresh concerns over the worsening state of major federal roads in Delta State, describing them as “lifelines now failing at great human and economic cost.” Speaking in a statement yesterday, Okolie highlighted three critical corridors — the Asaba-Illah-Ebu-Ubiaja Road, the Asaba-Onitsha Expressway, and the Okpanam-Asaba Highway — all of which he said have deteriorated into death traps despite repeated parliamentary interventions. “These roads are not just infrastructure; they are lifelines that connect people, communities, and economies,” Okolie declared. “Yet today, they stand as stark reminders that government promises must be matched...
1 comment
Read more