By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives has passed for first reading ‘A bil to Alter the 1999 Constitution as amended, to create Etiti state (equity) in the South -East region on Tuesday at plenary.
The bill was sponsored by Rep. Amobi Ogah representing Isikwuato/ Umunneochi federal Constituency Rep. Princess Miriam Onuoha representing Okigwe/Onuimo federal constituency, Rep. Kama Nkemkama representing Ivo/ Ohazara federal constituency, Rep. Princess Chinwe Nnabuife representing Orumba South/North Federal Constituency and Rep. Anayo Onwuegbu representing Oji river/Agwai/aniri federal constituency.
The proposed state is to be created out of the present Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states.
When created, the new state will have 11 local government areas drawn from the five states with headquarters at Lokpanta.
The bill seeks to alter three sections of the 1999 constitution, to delete the word 36 and replacing it with the word 37 to accommodate the new state and to insert the word Etiti, immediately after Enugu in the list of states contained in the Constitution.
It also seek to alter the listing of local government according to states and transfer the 11 local government areas from their current states to the new state.
The local government to be affected are Isuikwuato and Umu-Nneochi (Abia), Orumba North and Orumba South (Anambra), Ivo and Ohaozara (Ebonyi), Aninri, Agwu and Oji River (Enugu) as well as Okigwe and Onuimo (Imo).