News
No New States as House Committee Rejects 31 Creation Requests – Deputy Speaker
By Gloria Ikibah
The Chairman of House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, has stated that none of the 31 requests submitted for state creation met the constitutional requirements.
Kalu, who also serves as Deputy Speaker, made this known during a two-day retreat organised by the 10th House in collaboration with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, supported by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, on Friday.
The retreat which holds from February 20 – 23, 2025, provided a platform to assess pending amendment bills and plan the next steps in the constitutional review process.
While acknowledging the significance of state creation in Nigeria’s governance structure, Kalu noted that the submitted requests did not meet the legal criteria for consideration.
He said the committee has extended the deadline for submissions to March 5, 2025, to allow for further input and possible revisions and that further extensions might be considered, depending on the retreat’s outcome.
Kalu also disclosed that the committee was currently reviewing 151 constitutional amendment bills, reflecting lawmakers’ ongoing efforts to refine governance in Nigeria. While some bills have advanced to the second reading, others remain at the initial stage.
Deputy Speaker also identified duplication of bills as a key challenge in the ongoing amendment process, and noted that some bills covered similar issues under different sponsors, while others overlapped in subject matter. To streamline efforts and avoid redundancy, the committee categorized the bills into key thematic areas:
- Federal Structure and Power Devolution
- Local Government Autonomy
- Public Revenue, Fiscal Federation, and Revenue Allocation
- Nigerian Police and Security Architecture
- Comprehensive Judicial Reforms
- Electoral Reforms
- Gender Issues and Human Rights
- State Creation
According to Kalu, this classification will help lawmakers focus on amendments that align with national interest and legislative priorities.
RRecognising the link between constitutional amendments and electoral laws, the committee invited the leadership of the House and Senate Committees on Electoral Matters to the retreat.
Kalu stressed that any proposed changes to the Electoral Act requiring constitutional amendments must pass through his committee to ensure a smooth legislative process.
As part of the next phase, Zonal and National Public Hearings have been scheduled across the six geopolitical zones to allow Nigerians to contribute to the amendment process. These hearings will hold in:
- North Central: Nasarawa and Niger States
- North East: Borno and Gombe States
- North West: Kaduna and Sokoto States
- South East: Enugu and Imo States
- South South: Bayelsa and Cross River States
- South West: Lagos and Ondo States
Kalu therefore urged lawmakers to engage diligently, ensuring the final amendments reflect the will of Nigerians.
He reiterated the committee’s commitment to a transparent and inclusive process, expressing confidence that their work would strengthen Nigeria’s democracy and governance.
The Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Mr. Clement Nwankwo, commended the committee’s efforts and reaffirmed PLAC’s support for the review process.
Monthly disbursements to the federal, states and local government areas dropped for the third consecutive time yesterday. The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) shared N1.58 trillion to the three tiers for March
The committee announced N2. 411 trillion as the total revenue generated in March at its April meeting in Abuja yesterday.
The total distributable revenue comprised N931.325 billion from statutory sources, N593.750 billion from Value Added Tax (VAT), N24.971 billion from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) and N28.711 billion from Exchange Difference revenue.
According to the communiqué issued by FAAC, the gross revenue available for March stood at N2.411 trillion. The deductions for cost of collection stood N85.376 billion, while N747.180 billion went to transfers, interventions and refunds accounted consumed.
Despite the lower net revenue available for distribution, the March statutory revenue of N1.718 trillion showed an increase of N65.422 billion over the N1.653 trillion received in February.
However, revenue from Value Added Tax (VAT) dropped to N637.618 billion last month from the February figure of N654.456 billion – a decrease of N16.838 billion.
From the total distributable sum of N1.578 trillion, the federal government received N528.696 billion; states collectively got N530.448 billion, while the 774 local government areas received N387.002 billion. Additionally, N132.611 billion – representing 13 per cent of mineral revenue – was allocated to oil-producing states as derivation revenue.
The breakdown of the N931.325 billion statutory revenue shows that the federal government took N422.485 billion, the states got N214.290 billion and N165.209 billion shared to the councils. The oil-producing states received N129.341 billion from this component as derivation revenue.
From the VAT pool of N593.750 billion, the federal government got N89.063 billion, states got N296.875 billion and the local government areas got N207.813 billion.
For the EMTL revenue of N24.971 billion, the federal government took N3.746 billion, states received N12.485 billion and local government areas went home with N8.740 billion.
In the case of Exchange Difference revenue of N28.711 billion, the federal government received N13.402 billion, states N6.798 billion and local government areas was allocated N5.241 billion. A further N3.270 billion from this revenue was distributed as 13 per cent derivation to oil-producing states.
A deeper look into the revenue trends shows that while Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) and Companies Income Tax (CIT) increased significantly during the month under review, several other key sources witnessed declines.
These include Oil and Gas royalty, EMTL, VAT, Excise Duty, Import Duty, and Common External Tariff (CET) Levies.
A viral video showing several Nigerian police officers allegedly receiving N5,000 each from a Chinese man and his family has sparked widespread outrage and renewed concerns over corruption and ethics in the Nigeria Police Force.
The footage, which surfaced online, shows uniformed officers lining up as a Chinese man hands them cash gifts.
The incident has drawn sharp condemnation from the public and human rights advocates, who described it as disgraceful and damaging to the image of the police.
When contacted by Vanguard, Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said he was unaware of the viral video or the incident.
Similarly, the Lagos State Police Command distanced itself from the footage. Its spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, clarified that the incident did not occur in Lagos, contrary to claims circulating online.
Public figures have also weighed in. Omoyele Sowore, former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), described the video as “shameful” and called for the removal of the IGP.
“This is why I keep saying illegal IGP Kayode Egbetokun must leave the police force. It is the shame of the nation,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
Popular social commentator and human rights activist Martins Victor Otse, also known as VeryDarkBlackMan, called the act “disgraceful, disrespectful, and degrading,” urging the police leadership to address the matter transparently.
The incident has intensified calls for accountability, with many Nigerians demanding disciplinary action and systemic reforms to restore public confidence in the police force.
The Federal Government has declared Friday, April 18, and Monday, April 21, 2025, as public holidays to mark Good Friday and Easter Monday.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Tuesday.
He emphasised the importance of embodying the virtues of the sacrifice and love displayed by Jesus Christ, who had to die for the redemption of man, while greeting Christians on the joyous occasion.
In a statement by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Magdalene Ajani, the minister called on Nigerians to use the holiday period to pray for the peace, unity, and stability of the nation.
He reassured citizens of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to foster national growth and development.
“Furthermore, he encouraged Nigerians to extend love and goodwill to their neighbours through acts of kindness and generosity.
“The minister wished all Christians a blissful Easter celebration and extended warm holiday greetings to all Nigerians,” the statement added.
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